b. 1960
Steven French is a British philosopher of science at the University of Leeds, specializing in the metaphysics and philosophy of physics. He is best known for developing ontic structural realism, the view that structure—rather than objects—is the fundamental furniture of the world. His work draws heavily on quantum mechanics and group theory to argue that relations are ontologically prior to relata.
Developed ontic structural realism as a response to underdetermination in quantum mechanics
Co-authored foundational work with James Ladyman on structural realism and the 'every thing must go' thesis
Authored 'The Structure of the World' (2014), a systematic defense of ontic structural realism
Analyzed the metaphysics of identity and individuality in quantum particles
Contributed to debates on the applicability of mathematics in physics via structural approaches