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

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