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Handedness, parity violation, and the reality of space

Pooley, Oliver (2001) Handedness, parity violation, and the reality of space. [Preprint]

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      Abstract

      In the first part of this paper a relational account of incongruent counterparts is defended against an argument due to Kant. I then consider a more recent attack on such an account, due to John Earman, which alleges that the relationalist cannot account for the lawlike left--right asymmetry manifested in parity-violating phenomena. I review Hoefer's, Huggett's and Saunders' responses to Earman's argument and argue that, while a relationalist account of parity-violating laws is possible, it comes at the cost of non-locality.

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      Item Type: Preprint
      Keywords: incongruent counterparts, parity violation, substantivalism, relationalism, space, Kant, Earman
      Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics
      Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory
      Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
      Depositing User: Oliver Pooley
      Date Deposited: 05 Aug 2002
      Last Modified: 07 Oct 2010 11:10
      Item ID: 713
      URI: http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/713

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