Philosophy of Science Higher Seminar: Hans Halvorson (Copenhagen/Princeton)
Seminar
Date: Thursday 19 October 2023
Time: 13.15 – 15.00
Location: D700
Contextualism in Relativity and Quantum Theories
Abstrakt
I review two accounts of global reference frames in spacetime theories (and Einstein's special theory of relativity in particular):
1. Absolutism: All fundamental facts are frame-independent, and the frame-relative facts are derivable from them.
2. Fragmentalism: All fundamental facts are frame-relative, and there are no non-trivial logical relations between the facts in one reference frame and the facts in another reference frame.
I argue that both of these accounts are fatally flawed, and I develop an alternative account that builds on the intuitions behind these other accounts. (I also consider the relation between these accounts and methodological imperatives regarding "good physics".) Finally I consider whether this sharpened account of contextualism in relativity theory can shed light on the sort of contextualism that we encounter in quantum theories
Last updated: October 11, 2023
Source: Department of Philosophy