Dieks, Dennis (2009) Reichenbach and the Conventionality of Distant Simultaneity in Perspective. [Preprint]

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Abstract

We take another look at Reichenbach’s 1920 conversion to conventionalism, with a special eye to the background of his ‘conventionality of distant simultaneity’ thesis. We argue that elements of Reichenbach earlier neo-Kantianism can still be discerned in his later work and, related to this, that his conventionalism should be seen as situated at the level of global theory choice. This is contrary to many of Reichenbach’s own statements, in which he declares that his conventionalism is a consequence of the arbitrariness of coordinative definitions.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Dieks, Dennis
Keywords:	Reichenbach, neo-Kantianism, conventionalism, simultaneity
Subjects:	General Issues > History of Philosophy of Science Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory General Issues > Operationalism/Instrumentalism General Issues > Conventionalism General Issues > Logical Positivism/Logical Empiricism
Depositing User:	Dennis Dieks
Date Deposited:	19 Aug 2009
Last Modified:	07 Oct 2010 15:18
Item ID:	4840
Subjects:	General Issues > History of Philosophy of Science Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory General Issues > Operationalism/Instrumentalism General Issues > Conventionalism General Issues > Logical Positivism/Logical Empiricism
Date:	June 2009
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/4840

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