Minkowski space-time: a glorious non-entity

dc.creatorBrown, Harvey R.
dc.creatorPooley, Oliver
dc.date2004-03-17
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T05:51:31Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T05:51:31Z
dc.descriptionEinstein 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.
dc.description18 pages, written for Petkov (ed.), The Ontology of Spacetime (in preparation)
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0403088
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0403088
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/86011
dc.subjectHistory and Philosophy of Physics
dc.titleMinkowski space-time: a glorious non-entity
dc.typetext

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