Fundamental Physics and Middle-Sized Dry Goods

I consider the debate between those who believe in microphysical reductionism, and those who believe in the irreducibility of macroscopic objects. I consider, in particular, recent arguments that physics itself refutes the hypothesis of reductionism – from, among others, George Ellis and Barbara Drossel. I raise some questions about the effectiveness of these arguments, and I suggest that this debate is based on an unclear, but emotionally fraught, understanding of what “reduction” means.