[PhilPhys] Paris/LARSIM, E. Curiel 28/5 and D. Baker 01/06

[GRINBAUM Alexei]

Séminaire du projet "Fondements de la physique en région parisienne <http://iramis.cea.fr/spec/Phocea/Vie_des_labos/Ast/ast_visu.php?id_ast=761> " 

 

28 mai à 14h30 au LARSIM (CEA-Orme des Merisiers, bât. 774, salle 50)

Erik Curiel (LSE) "On the Existence of Spacetime Structure"

 

1er juin à 11h au LARSIM (CEA-Orme des Merisiers, bât. 774, salle 50)

David Baker (University of Michigan) "Broken Symmetry and Spacetime"

 

---

Résumés / Abstracts

 

28 mai 2010, 14h30, LARSIM

Erik Curiel (LSE) "On the Existence of Spacetime Structure"

I examine the debate between substantivalists and relationalists about the ontological character of spacetime and conclude it is not well posed. I argue the so-called Hole Argument does not bear on the debate, because it provides no clear criterion to distinguish the positions. I propose two precise criteria and construct arguments on their bases to yield contrary conclusions, one supportive of something like relationalism and the other of something like substantivalism. The lesson is that one must fix an investigative context in order to make such criteria precise, but different investigative contexts yield inconsistent results. I examine questions of existence about spacetime structures other than the spacetime manifold itself to argue it is more fruitful to focus on pragmatic issues of physicality. I conclude by suggesting an extension of the lessons of my arguments to the broader debate between realism and instrumentalism.

 

1er juin 2010, 11h, LARSIM

David Baker (University of Michigan) "Broken Symmetry and Spacetime"

The phenomenon of broken spacetime symmetry in the quantum theory of infinite systems may force us to adopt an unorthodox ontology. We must abandon the standard conception of the physical meaning of these symmetries, or else deny the attractive "liberal" notion of which physical quantities are significant. A third option, more attractive but less well understood, is to abandon the existing (Halvorson-Clifton) notion of intertranslatability for quantum theories.

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://listbox.elte.hu/mailman/private/philphys/attachments/20100521/b5877ae1/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
PhilPhys - Philosophy of Physics Mail Group
Help & Archives: http://phil.elte.hu/PhilPhys