Space, time and natural kinds.
Einstein's special theory, as interpreted by Herman Minkowski, suggests that an understanding of space and time requires the replacement of three-dimensional space and one dimensional time with a four-dimensional space-time continuum, as a natural kind of thing with a characteristic, geometrical, st...
| Publicado en: | Journal of Critical Realism Vol. 5; no. 2; pp. 290 - 323 |
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| Formato: | Artículo |
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Taylor & Francis Ltd
2006
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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=22630117&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: hlh uiTerm: 22630117 longDbName: Humanities International Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 14767430 7DS jtl: Journal of Critical Realism issn: 14767430 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: 2006 vid: 5 iid: 2 pid: 377 pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd artinfo: ui: 22630117 10.1558/jocr.v5i2.290 ppf: 290 ppct: 33 formats: fmt: @attributes: type: P size: 187KB tig: atl: Space, time and natural kinds. aug: au: Mann, Scott su: Critical realism Spacetime Special relativity (Physics) Geometry problems & exercises Pythagorean theorem Causation (Philosophy) Galilei, Galileo, 1564-1642 sug: subj: Critical realism Spacetime Special relativity (Physics) Geometry problems & exercises Pythagorean theorem Causation (Philosophy) Galilei, Galileo, 1564-1642 keyword: critical realism RELATIVITY space SPACETIME TIME ab: Einstein's special theory, as interpreted by Herman Minkowski, suggests that an understanding of space and time requires the replacement of three-dimensional space and one dimensional time with a four-dimensional space-time continuum, as a natural kind of thing with a characteristic, geometrical, structure. Issues of space and time in general, and of special relativity in particular, are not addressed in Bhaskar's A Realist Theory of Science, and their treatment in subsequent realist writings has been patchy and indecisive. Some of Bhaskar's observations in later writings, including his defence of fundamental ontological asymmetries between space and time, and between present, past and future, appear incompatible with a relativistic perspective. Equally problematic, from a critical realist perspective, is the apparent ontological prioritisation of events, and causation as action-by-contact, within the Minkowski interpretation of special relativity. This paper argues that the four-dimensional spacetime continuum of special relativity occupies its own level at the base of the ontological hierarchy of natural kinds, providing lower-order components and laws for higher-order physical, chemical, biological and social structures. While providing no definitive reconciliation of relativistic and realist perspectives, this paper does suggest that A. N. Whitehead's idea of atomic events, or 'actual occasions', could pave the way for some possible future reconciliation. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: Y custom: Copyright of Journal of Critical Realism is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. item: Journal of Critical Realism holder: Taylor & Francis Ltd dt: @attributes: year: 2006 holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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