The sixteen papers collected in this volume are expanded and revised versions of talks delivered at the Second International Conference on the Ontology of Spacetime, organized by the International Society for the Advanced Study of Spacetime (John Earman, President) at Concordia University (Montreal) from 9 to 11 June 2006. Most chapters are devoted to subjects directly relating to the ontology of spacetime. The book starts with four papers that discuss the ontological status of spacetime and the processes occurring in it from a point of view that is first of all conceptual and philosophical. The focus then slightly shifts in the five papers that follow, to considerations more directly involving technical considerations from relativity theory. After this, Time, Becoming and Change take centre stage in the next five papers. The book ends with two excursions into relatively uncharted territory: a consideration of the status of Kaluza-Klein theory, and an investigation of possible relations between the nature of spacetime and condensed matter physics, respectively. . Space and time in present-day physics and philosophy . Relatively low level of technicality, easily accessible . Introduction from scratch of the debates surrounding time . Broad spectrum of approaches, coherently represented
Author(s): Dennis Dieks (Eds.)
Series: Philosophy and Foundations of Physics 4
Publisher: Elsevier
Year: 2008
Language: English
Pages: 1-340
Content:
Series Editors: Dennis Dieks and Miklos Redei
Page ii
Edited by Dennis Dieks
Page iii
Copyright page
Page iv
Contents
Page v
List of Contributors
Page vii
Preface
Page ix
Dennis Dieks
Chapter 1 A Trope-Bundle Ontology for Field Theory Review Article
Pages 1-15
Andrew Wayne
Chapter 2 Is Structural Spacetime Realism Relationism in Disguise? The Supererogatory Nature of the Substantivalism/Relationism Debate Review Article
Pages 17-37
Mauro Dorato
Chapter 3 Identity, Spacetime, and Cosmology Review Article
Pages 39-57
Jan Faye
Chapter 4 Persistence and Multilocation in Spacetime Review Article
Pages 59-81
Yuri Balashov
Chapter 5 Is Spacetime a Gravitational Field? Review Article
Pages 83-110
Dennis Lehmkuhl
Chapter 6 Structural Aspects of Space-Time Singularities Review Article
Pages 111-131
Vincent Lam
Chapter 7 Who's Afraid of Background Independence? Review Article
Pages 133-152
Dean Rickles
Chapter 8 Understanding Indeterminism Review Article
Pages 153-173
Carolyn Brighouse
Chapter 9 Conventionality of Simultaneity and Reality Review Article
Pages 175-185
Vesselin Petkov
Chapter 10 Pruning Some Branches from “Branching Spacetimes” Review Article
Pages 187-205
John Earman
Chapter 11 Time Lapse and the Degeneracy of Time: Gödel, Proper Time and Becoming in Relativity Theory Review Article
Pages 207-227
Richard T.W. Arthur
Chapter 12 On Temporal Becoming, Relativity, and Quantum Mechanics Review Article
Pages 229-244
Tomasz Bigaj
Chapter 13 Relativity, the Passage of Time and the Cosmic Clock Review Article
Pages 245-253
Peter Forrest
Chapter 14 Time and Relation in Relativity and Quantum Gravity: From Time to Processes Review Article
Pages 255-273
Alexis de Saint-Ours
Chapter 15 Mechanisms of Unification in Kaluza–Klein Theory Review Article
Pages 275-300
Ioan Muntean
Chapter 16 Condensed Matter Physics and the Nature of Spacetime Review Article
Pages 301-329
Jonathan Bain
Subject Index
Pages 331-336
Author Index
Pages 337-340
