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{{thermodynamics|cTopic=History and Culture}}
The '''philosophy of thermal and statistical physics''' is that part of the [[Physics:Philosophy of physics|philosophy of physics]] whose subject matter is an amalgam of classical [[Physics:Thermodynamics|thermodynamics]], [[Physics:Statistical mechanics|statistical mechanics]], and related theories. Its central questions include: What is [[Physics:Entropy|entropy]], and what does the second law of thermodynamics say about it? Does either thermodynamics or statistical mechanics contain an element of [[Time|time]]-irreversibility? If so, what does statistical mechanics tell us about the [[Physics:Arrow of time|arrow of time]]? What is the nature of the probabilities that appear in statistical mechanics?

== See also ==
* [[Physics:Laws of thermodynamics|Laws of thermodynamics]]
* [[Physics:Maxwell's demon|Maxwell's demon]]
* [[Physics:H-theorem|H-theorem]]
* [[Maximum entropy thermodynamics]]
* [[Entropy in thermodynamics and information theory]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* Uffink, J., 2001, "[http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/archive/00000313/ Bluff your way in the second law of thermodynamics]," ''Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics'' 32(3): 305–94.
* --------, 2007, "Compendium of the Foundations of Classical Statistical Physics" in [[Biography:Jeremy Butterfield|Butterfield, J.]], and [[Biography:John Earman|John Earman]], eds., ''Philosophy of Physics, Part B''. North Holland: 923–1074.
* Valev, P., 2002, "[https://web.archive.org/web/20041114195215/http://content.aip.org/APCPCS/v643/i1/430_1.html The Law of Self-Acting Machines and Irreversible Processes with reversible Replicas]," in Sheehan, D., (ed.) ''Proceedings of the First International conference on Quantum Limits to the Second Law'', American Institute of Physics: 430–35.
* Martinas et al., ''Thermodynamics: History And Philosophy - Facts, Trends, Debates''
* Hoyer, ''Thermodynamics and Philosophy: Ludwig Boltzmann''
* Sklar, ''Physics and Chance: Philosophical Issues in the Foundations of Statistical Mechanics''
* Ernst & Hüttemann, ''Time, Chance, and Reduction: Philosophical Aspects of Statistical Mechanics''

==External links==
* {{cite web | last=Sklar | first=Lawrence |  title=Philosophy of Statistical Mechanics | year=2015 | url=https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/statphys-statmech/ | website=[[Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]] | access-date=2019-04-17}}
* {{cite web | last=Uffink | first=Jos | title=Boltzmann's Work in Statistical Physics | year=2014 | url=https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/statphys-Boltzmann/ | website=[[Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]] |access-date=2019-04-17}}


{{Philosophy topics}}
{{philosophy of science}}

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[[Category:Philosophy of thermal and statistical physics| ]]
[[Category:Philosophy of physics]]



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