Intrepreting classical gauge theories
Richard Healey · Oxford University Press eBooks · 2007
This chapter presents and defends an interpretation of classical gauge theories, including electromagnetism. It argues that Yang-Mills gauge theories (but not general relativity) are best understood as postulating non-localized properties of loops in space (or more generally space-time). It raises both semantic and epistemological objections to an alternative interpretation in terms of localized gauge properties, and argues that the empirical success of a classical Yang-Mills gauge theory warrants an inference to the existence of a certain kind of non-localized property. It responds to both epistemological and metaphysical objections to this conclusion, and draws more general morals for both metaphysics and scientific epistemology.