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- Title
The Geometry of Conventionality.
- Authors
Weatherall, James Owen; Manchak, John Byron
- Abstract
There is a venerable position in the philosophy of space and time that holds that the geometry of spacetime is conventional, provided one is willing to postulate a "universal force field." Here we ask a more focused question, inspired by this literature: in the context of our best classical theories of space and time, if one understands "force" in the standard way, can one accommodate different geometries by postulating a new force field? We argue that the answer depends on one's theory. In Newtonian gravitation the answer is yes; in relativity theory, it is no.
- Subjects
SPACETIME; PHILOSOPHY of science; GEOMETRY; FORCE &; energy; GRAVITATION; RELATIVITY (Physics)
- Publication
Philosophy of Science, 2014, Vol 81, Issue 2, p233
- ISSN
0031-8248
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1086/675680