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Spacetime Conventionalism Revisited

Tasdan, Ufuk I and Thebault, Karim P Y (2023) Spacetime Conventionalism Revisited. [Preprint]

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Abstract

We characterise and critically evaluate five formulations of the thesis that the structure of spacetime is conventional, rather than empirically determined. The proliferation of formulations comes from considering generalisation first, via a more liberal Carnapian understanding of the conventionalism argument in terms of universal effects, rather than Reichenbachian universal forces, and second, via a more liberal understanding of the modal context of the empirical underdetermination, that is as underdetermination between observers rather than models. Whilst three of the five formulations of conventionalism will be found to fail, two are found to open up new interesting problems for researchers in the foundations of general relativity. In all five cases, our analysis will explore interplay between geometric identities, symmetry, conformal structure, and the dynamical content of physical theories. The conventionalism dialectic is thus deployed towards as a tool of explication, clarification, and exploration.


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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Tasdan, Ufuk Iiu.tasdan@bristol.ac.uk
Thebault, Karim P Ykarim.thebault@gmail.com
Keywords: spacetime, conventionalism
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics
General Issues > Conventionalism
Specific Sciences > Physics > Cosmology
General Issues > History of Philosophy of Science
General Issues > Laws of Nature
General Issues > Logical Positivism/Logical Empiricism
Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
General Issues > Structure of Theories
Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Depositing User: Dr Karim Thebault
Date Deposited: 15 Feb 2023 14:29
Last Modified: 15 Feb 2023 14:29
Item ID: 21756
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics
General Issues > Conventionalism
Specific Sciences > Physics > Cosmology
General Issues > History of Philosophy of Science
General Issues > Laws of Nature
General Issues > Logical Positivism/Logical Empiricism
Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
General Issues > Structure of Theories
Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Date: 14 February 2023
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/21756

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