Minkowski space-time: a glorious non-entity
Loading...
Date
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Description
Einstein distinguished between ``principle'' and ``constructive'' theories in physics, and although he thought the latter were more explanatory than the former, he regarded his 1905 formulation of special relativity theory as a principle theory. Some have claimed that Minkowski space-time can serve as the deep structure within a constructive reformulation of special relativity. We criticise this claim, and argue that a satisfactory constructive version of special relativity must involve a dynamical treatment of the forces holding together the constitutive parts of moving rods and clocks.
18 pages, written for Petkov (ed.), The Ontology of Spacetime (in preparation)
18 pages, written for Petkov (ed.), The Ontology of Spacetime (in preparation)