World Enough and Space-Time: Absolute vs. Relational Theories of Space and Time (Bradford Books)

245 Pages·1989·1.82 MB·English

by  John Earman

World EannoSdup gahc e-Time
Absolvuetres Ruesl atiTohneaolr oifeS sp acaen d Time
JohBna rman
AB radfBoorodk
ThMeI T ePsrs
CambriMdagses,a chusetts
LondEonng,l and
© 1899M assachIunssettiottfTs ue tceh nology
Alrli grhetsse rNvoep da.ro tft hbioso mka yb er eprodiunc eafdon rybm y aenlye ctronic
orm echanmiecaan(lsi nclpuhdoitnogc orpeycionrgod,rii nngf,o rmsattoiroang e and
retriweivtahlpo)eu rtm isisnwi roint ing pfurbolmi sthheer .
Thibso owka sse itnT imes RNoemwa bny ATsrcaoTd yep eseLtttdHi.on,ng Kg o nagn d
prinatnebddo unidnt hUen itSetda otfeA sme rica.
LibroafCr oyn grCeastsa loging-inD-aPtuab lication
EarmaJno,h n.
Worledn oughs apacned- time.
"Bradfboorodk ."
Incluinddeesx .
1.S paacnetd i me2..A bsolTuhtee.3, .R elationism.
4.S cience-MethPohdiolloosgoy5p-.Sh cyi.e nce-PhiIl.To istolpeh.y .
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Andt eoaurpr l easwuirtrehos us gthr ife,
Thorotuhigerh o n ogflr iaftee.s
FoFrr anwcheosls,oe pv ea ssaelutlnh d erstanding
Contents
Preface xi
Notation
Xlll
Itnr od uction
1 The Oroiftg hiAenb ss olute-RCeolnattrioovnearls y6
1 NewtoonAn b soel uStpaancTdei me 7
2 SenosfAe sb soelnuetss 11
3 Relationism 12
4 Leibannitdzh I ed eaolfSi ptayc e 15
5 OthReerl ationisms 16
6 ThVea cuum 18
7 Conclusion 20
AppenNdeiwxt:oS nc'hso loinAu bms oeSl puatce
anTdi me 20
2 ClassSipcaacle -Times 27
1 MachSipaanc e-Time 27
2 LeibnSipzaicaen- Time 30
3 MaxwelSlpiaacne -Time 31
4 NNeeow-toonriG aanl iSlpeaacne -Time 33
5 FuNlelw toSnpiaacne -Time 33
6 AristoStpealciea-nT ime 34
7 OthCelra sSspiaccael- Times 35
8 ReviaenwQd u iz 36
AppenAdbisxoe:Ol bujtects 38
3 ChoosiCnlga sasS ipcaacle -Time 41
1 ArgumfernottmshM e e anoif'n gM iootn' 41
2 ArgumfeornmtE sp istemology 42
3 ArgumfernotSmsc ieTnhteiofirci zing 43
4 SymmePtrriyn ciples 45
5 AbsoeSl puatce 48
6 SymmettrhSiete rsu,co tfSu praec e-aTnidm e,
Substantivalism 55
viii Contents
7 Conclusion 57
AppenCdoimmxe:n otnsS ymmeItnrvya,r ainadn ce,
Dynamics 57
4 Rotation 61
1 NewtoAnr'gsu mfernoRtmo tation 61
2 ThHeu gyesnL-eibCnoirzr espondence 66
3 HuygenRse'ssp onse 67
4 LeibRneiszp'osn se 71
5 BerkeRleesype'o sn s 73
6 KanRte'ssp onse 76
7 MaxweRlels'pso nse 78
8 MachR'ess ponse 81
9 PoincRaersep'osn se 84
10 Instrumentalism 87
11 Conclusion 89
5 RelatiTohneaolro ifMe ost ionT:w enAt ieth-Century
Perspective 91
1 RelatTihoenoaorlfMi oetsi oanC lians Sseitctailn g 91
2 ThRee latTihoenoaorlfBi aersb aonuBdre rtotti 92
3 EinsotnRe oitn ation 96
4 RotaatniRdoe nl ativity 97
5 RelatRiivgiMisodtt iiocn 98
6 RelatRievliattyia,on nRdio tsamt,i on 101
7 EinstCeriintR'iesqv uies ited 120
8 MachP'rsi nciple 150
9 Conclusion 180
AppexnR:di igMiodt ioRne liant Sipvaicset-iTci mes1 80
6 SubstantNievwatlvoiensr msL:ue si bniz 111
SpaacneSd p ace-aTsSi umtbeas nces 111
2 LebiniAzr'gsu ment 161
Contents ix
3 ThSet rucotfLu erieb Anrigzu'mse nt 118
4 LeibWneiazp'osn s 181
5 ThRee aacnhId m plicoafLt eiiobnAnsri gzu'mse nt 102
6 Limita(?to)inL o enisb Anrigzu'mse nt 121
7 RespotnoLs eeisb Anrigzu'mse nt 122
8 TAhbes olCuotuinstte rattack 152
9 Sklar's Maneuver 162
10A notRheelra tMiaonneiusvte r 182
11L eibonnFi ozr ce 103
12 PossiabniRdle liaat ionism 143
13C onclusion 163
7 KanItn,c ongCrouuenntte rapnaAdrb tsso,l ute
Space 173
KantAr'gsu maegnatiR neslta tionism 173
2 AR elatAicocnoiousftnt ht De i stibnecttwiReoiengn h t
anLde ft 134
3 ParNiotnyc onservation 174
4 IncongCrouuenntte arnptdah rIetn st uNiattiuvree
ofS pace 105
5 Conclusion 125
8 ModeTrrne atmoefSn utbss tantainvda lism
Relationism 145
1 Field's View 145
2 RelatainvFdii teyl ds 155
3 FiealndMdsa nifSoulbds tantivalism 185
4 ThFei rsLCHoCinlset ruction 195
5 FriedmRaenlcaotni Moodneilsb-mmS:ou dveelr Msoudse l
EmbeddiIJ.g 136
6 Mundoyn R elatTihoenoaorlfEi uecsl iSdpeaaacnne d
MinkoSwpsakcie -Time 166
7 Whatth Aen tisubstMausrtDtto i valist 107
8 Conclusion 137
x Contents
9 GeneRreall atainvSdiu tbys tantAi vVaelriys m:
HoleSyt ory 157
EinstHeoliAenr 'gsu ment 157
2 PeroifDl est erminism 177
3 SpaTciem-Seu bstanatnitdvh aPelo isssmio bfi lity
Determinism 197
4 TakitnhPgeo isbsiolfDi ettye rmSienriisomu sly 108
5 ThReo loeft hMeu tabiolfSi ptayc e-STtirmuec ture 138
6 ThLee ibnRiezaicatni on 158
7 EinstReeianc'tsi on 168
8 AC ataolfRo egs potnoEs ienss tHeoliCeno 'nss truct1i8o9n
9 TryitnoDg ow ihtout SpaPcoei-nTtism e 191
10 AntohReerl oantiAisptp roach 149
11A nA bsolCuotuinstte rattack 195
12 PredicaanItddi eonnt ity 169
13 Essentialism 199
14 CounteTrhpeaorrty 202
15C onclusion 207
Notes 209
Reefrences 220
Index 229
Preface
Iw apsl eaasnefldda ttwehreeLnda rSrkyl aanrMd ikFer iedcmhaons e
tom entmieoi nnt haec knowletdotg hmeerinerts sp ebcotoiSkvpse a ce,
TimaenS,dp aTciema-neFd oundoafSt piaoTcinemsT-e h eoIrr eiteusr.n
thceo mplibmyse tnattt ihntaght e asrseet tihlbele asvta itlaebxoltnaes
widrea nogfte o piintc hspe h iloosfos ppahacyne td i me. My work may
alsboes eeansa mosrueb stacnotmipvleiS mkelnaatrn.'Fd sr iedman's
bookse swpeerceni oatlaflboytlr he ie n siagnhtdth mseu ch-nregieodre d
anpdr ectihsieboyrn o utgoth htne e veenrd isntgr ubgegtlweae besnoe lut
anrde latcioonncaelpo tfsi poanacsne td i me.t hNteoi wmi esr i fpoer
achiefvluilnuegnr d ae rstatnhddeii emnngs iaoonfnrd as m ificoaftth ieo ns
issfuaremseb dy S klaanrFd r iedBmuainl.od nit nhgec iorn tribIu tions,
hopteom akpeh ilosporpohgiorcfvea aslirs o kuisn sdosm:oe ft hies sues
cabnes ettoltehde;rb ses hcaarnp setnoietldhl;ce arbnsep ushaesdia dse
irrelaenvsdao nmtce;a b ne s howtnob redaokw onrd isesi onlttvoh e
metapheytshiRecerag.la rodflt ehsseps e coiffip casr tiicsuslutaheres ,
overargcohhaielnir tgseof osatb eert ter apophfr oetwch aieba stoeil­ount
relatcioonntarloc voenrnsetycop t rso blienmm ast hemapthiycssi,c s,
metaphaynstdih cpesh l,io soopfsh cyi emnettihfiocd oFloougnyd.a tion
problepmhsy seiisncp se,ct ihgaeel nleytr haeloo rfry e latairuvesi etdy ,
botthoa dvancdei stchuoesfp s hiiolnho iscpoarplo blaenmds to demon­
strtahttaehta e b solutec-ornetlraotinvisoeo mtrnes arylep lhyi lpohsicoal:
icta nnboect o nfitnote hdbe a cpka goefps h ilojsuoorpnhayl s.
Althotuhgtehr eatomfse onmtte o piiscn se cessarily technical, the
organiaznaldte ivooepfnlr esenotfta htwiiosor mnka kieat p propfroir ate
usiena nu pperu-nldeevreglr oarbd eugaitnegn riandgcu oautiren st eh e
philoosfos pchiyeT nhcebe i.b liowghriamlpaehk yi,nn ogp retaetn se
compleitesex nteesenssn,io hvut egog uitdhere e aidnebtroo ht t hcel assic
antdh meo ruep --tdoaltiet erature.
Ih avmea dneoa ttetmodp its gmuyoi wspner edilecptrjieduoincse sa,n d
buatti mporjtnuacnttiI oh nasvt er iteoid n ditchaaetl et erpnaatthisv e
antdh aer gumpernaotn scd o fno era cThos. o meex ttehnmitas yb e a
mistfaopkreh ,i lomsiogpbhhebty e tteri wfse ce hreovs seidm tpoli ygn ore
varipoousosin tIshi .a rbnooir l lutshiatohtnce o nsideIrm aatrisohnasl
here aacnhyiteahvpiepn rgo acclhoeisIn.ung rd eIhe ode,pt htahtwi osr k
wiblejl u dgbeyod n oetf h meo srte liyaabrldeso tffiur citkpfshu ilol pohsiz­
innga,m elym,a nHdyoi ws cudsoseiieston ngse nHdoewmr a?n dyi sserta­
titoonp dioceissst p oiffn?
Preface
Xll
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apprecbiuaItmt uisotn ,e stpheacMniikak lel yF rAileJ damnains,, David
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Teller.a raTelh dsauone k Msi tcoh Wareilg whhto,s e gseunpeprooruts
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ButteMrificehlade,l RedShaeuandda,en rodSst i,hmm eoernm beorfts h e
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woullidek sep ectioma elniltoyLn a rSrkyl Haorw.e vheisrsu, p esrebl ec­
tioinnCs h inreesset amuorratenh tamsna kef outrph liasp se.
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material here.
Notation
Tom akteh sey mboflmaiislmti ota hrge r eantuemsbtoe frr e adIeh rasv,e
adoptthecedo mponneonttaf toivroe nc taonrtdse s norisn stoefta hde
newaebrs tirnadcnetox t atTihou�ns:.,j �st2a.n:dts:h cj�efo odorir nate
componoefant tesno sfto yrp( res, T) h.Ee i nsstuemimna tion convention
onr epeiantdeidic isen es eff cet.;gg ijV.j,== LjgVij.jR onuda nsdq uare
bracketsi nadriaocruueesns etd do d enortees,p ectively, symmetrization
anadn tisymmeet.rgi.z,a tion;
1[Ji== lt(1;j -�i)a n1(dij ==) t Cf;j + T;J
Logic
(x) Univeqrusaanlt ifier
(3x) Existqeunatnitailfi er
P Q iPft heQn
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I Pn oPt
Sets
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Maps
tPm apxsE At otP (Ex B)
Invemraspoe ftP
Composit/Itf iloloonbw yetP d
Thder agginign daulbcoyten hdmge a ptPo ft he
geomeotbrji0ec c t