Spacetime: function and approximation.
Several approaches to quantum gravity (QG) signal the loss of spacetime at some level. According to spacetime functionalism, spacetime is functionally realised by a more fundamental structure. According to one version of spacetime functionalism, the spacetime role is specified by Ramsifying general...
| Publicado en: | Synthese Vol. 200; no. 2; pp. 1 - 26 |
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| Autor principal: | |
| Formato: | Artículo |
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Springer Nature
Apr2022
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=156757928&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: hlh uiTerm: 156757928 longDbName: Humanities International Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 00397857 4LI jtl: Synthese issn: 00397857 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Apr2022 vid: 200 iid: 2 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature artinfo: ui: 156757928 10.1007/s11229-022-03498-0 ppf: 1 ppct: 25 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P size: 332KB tig: atl: Spacetime: function and approximation. aug: au: Baron, Sam affil: Dianoia Institute of Philosophy, Australian Catholic University, East Melbourne, Australia sug: keyword: Emergence Functionalism Observation Ontology Space Spacetime Time ab: Several approaches to quantum gravity (QG) signal the loss of spacetime at some level. According to spacetime functionalism, spacetime is functionally realised by a more fundamental structure. According to one version of spacetime functionalism, the spacetime role is specified by Ramsifying general relativity (GR). In some approaches to QG, however, there does not appear to be anything that exactly realises the functional role defined by a Ramsey sentence for GR. The spacetime role is approximately realised. It is open to the spacetime functionalist to adopt a ‘near enough is good enough’ attitude to functional realisation, and maintain that spacetime is functionally realised nonetheless. In this paper I present a challenge for such an ‘approximate’ spacetime functionalism. The challenge, in brief, is to provide an account of how ‘close’ is close enough for approximate realisation to occur. I canvass a range of options for spelling out a similarity relation of the relevant kind, and argue that none are successful. In light of the challenge, I recommend giving up on the functional realisation of spacetime. I argue, however, that even if spacetime as a whole is not functionally realised, some of the functions of spacetime may still be performed. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: Y custom: Synthese is a copyright of Springer, 2022. All Rights Reserved. item: Synthese holder: Springer Nature dt: @attributes: year: 2022 holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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