[PhilPhys] CFP: SHPMP special issue on the emergence of spacetime in quantum theories of gravity

[Christian Wüthrich]

CALL for ABSTRACTS (Special Issue)
STUDIES IN THE HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF MODERN PHYSICS
The Emergence of Spacetime in Quantum Theories of Gravity

GUEST EDITORS
Nick Huggett (University of Illinois, Chicago)
Christian Wüthrich (University of California, San Diego)

While different approaches to quantum gravity are often based on  
rather different physical principles, many of them share an important  
suggestion: that spacetime as we find it in classical general  
relativity is not a fundamental ingredient of the world, but instead  
"emerges" from some deeper, non-spatiotemporal physics. Philosophers  
of physics have been slow to analyze this radical suggestion and to  
consider its implication for the empirical coherence of a fundamental  
theory.

This special issue aims to collect essays investigating senses in  
which spacetime might be absent from fundamental theories, how it  
remerges at a phenomenological level, and the various philosophical  
consequences of the non-fundamentality of spacetime. For example: in  
what sense spacetime does "emerge" in AdS-CFT theory? Or in causal set  
theory? Metaphysical views of laws and causation, say, often assume  
spacetime - are these metaphysical concepts then non-fundamental? How  
can a theory that has no "local beables" be tested?

The editors will give preference to focussed pieces, such as studies  
of particular cases or aspects of the emergence of spacetime, over  
surveys or general investigations. Abstracts of no more than 500 words  
should be submitted by email to huggett at uic.edu and wuthrich at ucsd.edu  
with subject "SHPMP Special Issue". Please give an estimated word  
count for the article: in the first place pieces of any length up to  
7500 words are sought (though longer essays will be considered).

The deadline for submission is 1 April 2011. Decisions about which  
abstracts will be selected will be announced by the end of April.  
Authors of selected abstracts will then be invited to submit a full  
manuscript by 1 September 2011.The special issue is planned for early  
2012.

________________________________________
Christian Wüthrich, PhD
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
University of California, San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive, 0119
La Jolla, CA 92093, USA

Visit me at
http://philosophy.ucsd.edu/faculty/wuthrich/

My new blog:
http://takingupspacetime.wordpress.com/

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