On various senses of “conventional” and their interrelation in the philosophy of physics: simultaneity as a case study

Dorato, Mauro (2009) On various senses of “conventional” and their interrelation in the philosophy of physics: simultaneity as a case study.

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Abstract

My aim in this note is to disambiguate various senses of ‘conventional’ that in the philosophy of physics have been frequently conflated. As a case study, I will refer to the well-known issue of the conventionality of simultaneity in the special theory of relativity, since it is particularly in this context that the above mentioned confusion is present.

Keywords:conventionality, simultaneity, relativity theory
Subjects:Specific Sciences: Physics: Relativity Theory
ID Code:4854
Deposited By:Dorato, Mauro
Deposited On:30 August 2009