Essay Review: Physical Relativity and Understanding Space-Time.

The two books discussed here make important contributions to our understanding of the role of spacetime concepts in physical theories and how that understanding has changed during the evolution of physics. Both emphasize what can be called a 'dynamical' account, according to which geometric structur...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Philosophy of Science Vol. 76; no. 3; pp. 404 - 422
Main Author: Huggett, Nick
Format: Book Review
Published: Cambridge University Press Jul2009
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Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:The two books discussed here make important contributions to our understanding of the role of spacetime concepts in physical theories and how that understanding has changed during the evolution of physics. Both emphasize what can be called a 'dynamical' account, according to which geometric structures should be understood in terms of their roles in the laws governing matter and force. I explore how the books contribute to such a project; while generally sympathetic, I offer criticisms of some historical claims concerning Newton, and argue that the dynamical account does not undercut ontological issues as the books claim.