World Enough and Space-Time

by Earman, John

• ISBN13: 9780262550215
• ISBN10: 0262550210
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1992-04-22
• Publisher: Bradford Books

Summary

Earman introduces and clarifies the historical and philosophical development of the clash between Newton's absolute conception of space and Leibniz's relative one. He separates the issues and provides new perspectives on absolute versus rational accounts of motion and substantive versus rational accounts of the ontology of spacetime, revitalizing the connection of the debate to contemporary science. John Earman is Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Notation	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
The Origins of the Absolute-Relational Controversy	p. 6
Classical Space-Times	p. 27
Choosing a Classical Space-Time	p. 41
Rotation	p. 61
Relational Theories of Motion: A Twentieth-Century Perspective	p. 91
Substantivalism: Newton versus Leibniz	p. 111
Kant, Incongruent Counterparts, and Absolute Space	p. 137
Modern Treatments of Substantivalism and Relationism	p. 154
General Relativity and Substantivalism: A Very Holey Story	p. 175
Notes	p. 209
References	p. 220
Index	p. 229
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