PhilSci Archive

On Spacetime Functionalism

Baker, David John (2019) On Spacetime Functionalism. [Preprint]

This is the latest version of this item.

[img]
Preview
Text
SpacetimeFunctionalismREV.pdf

Download (261kB) | Preview

Abstract

Eleanor Knox has argued that our concept of spacetime applies to whichever structure plays a certain functional role in the laws (the role of determining local inertial structure). I raise two complications for this approach. First, our spacetime concept seems to have the structure of a cluster concept, which means that Knox's inertial criteria for spacetime cannot succeed with complete generality. Second, the notion of metaphysical fundamentality may feature in the spacetime concept, in which case spacetime functionalism may be uninformative in the absence of answers to fundamental metaphysical questions like the substantivalist/relationist debate.


Export/Citation: EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL
Social Networking:
Share |

Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Baker, David Johndjbaker@umich.edu
Keywords: spacetime; substantivalism; relationism; relativity theory
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Gravity
Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Depositing User: David Baker
Date Deposited: 29 Mar 2019 12:33
Last Modified: 29 Mar 2019 12:33
Item ID: 15860
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Gravity
Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Date: 2019
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/15860

Available Versions of this Item

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item