Why the fundamental laws of nature might be a scientific illusion

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Nancy Cartwright challenges the traditional view that science is governed by universal, exceptionless laws. Instead, she argues that the world is a dappled place where causation is local and messy. By focusing on how scientists actually work, she reconfigures empiricism to prioritize practical intervention over abstract, theoretical perfection.

Nancy Cartwright, a prominent philosopher of science, argues that the standard view of scientific laws is fundamentally flawed. Rather than seeing the universe as a tidy system governed by universal, exceptionless laws, she proposes that nature is a 'dappled world'—a patchwork of localized, specific capacities. Her work suggests that the laws we formulate often fail to describe reality accurately because they ignore the complex, contingent conditions under which scientific success actually occurs.

Associated with the 'Stanford School,' Cartwright shifts the focus from abstract theories to scientific practice. She contends that scientists and engineers act as pragmatic realists who rely on causal interventions—such as stimulating an inverted population to create a laser—rather than relying on universal laws. Consequently, she argues that causation is an undeniable feature of scientific practice, even if the 'fundamental' laws of nature are not. Her empiricism draws from the traditions of Neurath and Mill rather than Hume or Carnap, prioritizing how science achieves its successes.

Cartwright’s influence spans decades of academic leadership and prolific writing. From her seminal 1983 book, 'How the Laws of Physics Lie,' to her recent work on evidence-based policy, she has consistently interrogated the boundaries of science. Her research has evolved to address how empirical evidence informs policy decisions, reflecting a career dedicated to understanding how we can arrange the world more effectively. As a Fellow of the British Academy and a recipient of the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award, her contributions continue to reshape how we conceptualize the relationship between scientific models and the world they describe.

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