Athearn, Daniel.  "Prospects for Physical Ontology: A Philosopher's Assessment.” Physics Essays, 10, No. 4 (1997): 558-67.

Abstract

Many physicists feel that efforts toward fundamental explanation (also known as ontology) should be considered and important dimension of physics in addition to the advancement of quantitative-predictive models and technical powers. Of recent suggestions along this line of interest, some have involved continued recourse to classical physical concepts, waves or particles retaining some classical characteristics, perhaps an ether substance of some kind. But the evidence from a range of specific areas, takes as a whole, forcefully indicates that if there are positive prospects for ontology, they lie in the direction of developing some basis of physical and causal description, some "concept of nature," that departs radically from classical conceptions of space, time, and physical entities.