No CrossRef data available.
Article contents
On Identifying Background-Structure in Classical Field Theories
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 January 2022
Abstract
This article concerns the concept of background-structure in a classical field theory. I propose and evaluate three ways of fixing the extension of the concept, giving particular attention to the bearing of the Anderson-Friedman definition of an absolute object on that task. I attempt to show that, though that task cannot end with the Anderson-Friedman definition, that definition sharpens—–and does not blur—–the particular feature of general relativity that is the basis of nearly all attempts to fix the extension of the concept.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association
Footnotes
‡
Anyone familiar with the work of Gordon Belot and Domenico Giulini will recognize my debt to them. I am grateful for discussions with audience members in Montreal and Bristol and for comments from Chris Smeenk, David Wallace, Steve Weinstein, and especially Bill Demopoulos, Robert DiSalle, and Wayne Myrvold. All errors are mine. This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
References
Anderson, James L. 1967. Principles of Relativity Physics. New York: Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Belot, Gordon. 2011. “Background-Independence.” General Relativity and Gravitation 43:2865–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DiSalle, Robert. 2002. “Reconsidering Ernst Mach on Space, Time, and Motion.” In Reading Natural Philosophy, ed. Malament, David, 167–91. Chicago: Open Court.Google Scholar
DiSalle, Robert. 2006. Understanding Space-Time. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Friedman, Michael. 1983. Foundations of Space-Time Theories. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Giulini, Domenico. 2007. “Some Remarks on the Notions of General Covariance and Background-Independence.” In Approaches to Fundamental Physics: An Assessment of Current Theoretical Ideas, ed. Seiler, Erhard and Stamatescu, Ion-Olimpiu, 105–20. Berlin: Springer.Google Scholar
Pitts, Brian. 2006. “Absolute Objects and Counterexamples.” Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 37:347–71.Google Scholar
Rovelli, Carlo. 2001. “Quantum Spacetime: What Do We Know?” In Physics Meets Philosophy at the Planck Scale, ed. Callender, Craig and Huggett, Nick, 101–22. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Smolin, Lee. 2006. “The Case for Background Independence.” In The Structural Foundations of Quantum Gravity, ed. Rickles, Dean, French, Steven, and Saatsi, Juha, 196–239. Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sorkin, Rafael. 2002. “An Example Relevant to the Kretschmann-Einstein Debate.” Modern Physics Letters A 17:695–700.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Torretti, Roberto. 1984. “Review: Space-Time Physics and the Philosophy of Science.” British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 35:280–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar