The Non-Fundamentality of Spacetime: General Relativity, Quantum Gravity, and Metaphysics

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Kian Salimkhani (University of Cologne, Germany)

The Non-Fundamentality of Spacetime

General Relativity, Quantum Gravity, and Metaphysics

Kian Salimkhani (University of Cologne, Germany)

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English

Routledge
30 January 2025

Philosophy: metaphysics & ontology; Philosophy of science; Physics

Series: Routledge Studies in the Philosophy of Mathematics and Physics

This book argues that our current best theories of fundamental physics are best interpreted as positing spacetime as non-fundamental. It is written in accessible language and largely avoids mathematical technicalities by instead focusing on the key metaphysical and foundational lessons for the fundamentality of spacetime.

According to orthodoxy, spacetime and spatiotemporal properties are regarded as fundamental structures of our world. Spacetime fundamentalism, however, faces challenges from speculative theories of quantum gravity – roughly speaking, the project of applying the lessons of quantum mechanics to gravitation and spacetime. This book demonstrates that the non-fundamentality of spacetime does not rely on speculative physics alone. Rather, one can give an interpretation of general relativity that supports some form of spacetime non-fundamentalism. The author makes the case for spacetime non-fundamentalism in three steps. First, he confronts the standard geometrical interpretation of general relativity with Brown and Pooley’s dynamical approach to relativity theory. Second, he considers an alternative derivation of the Einstein field equations, namely the classical spin-2 approach, and argues that it paves the way for a refined dynamical approach to general relativity. Finally, he argues that particle physics can serve as a continuity condition for the metaphysics of spacetime.

The Non-Fundamentality of Spacetime will be of interest to scholars and advanced students working in philosophy of physics, philosophy of science, and metaphysics.

By: Kian Salimkhani (University of Cologne Germany)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 490g
ISBN: 9781032518343
ISBN 10: 1032518340
Series: Routledge Studies in the Philosophy of Mathematics and Physics
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 30 January 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

1. Introduction 2. Fundamentality 3. Spacetime in Relativity Theory 4. Classical ‘Spin-2’ Gravity 5. Spacetime in Quantum Gravity 6. Unification 7. Conclusion Appendix: More Detailed Calculations

Kian Salimkhani is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Cologne, Germany, and a member of the DFG research group “Inductive Metaphysics”. He mainly works on philosophy of physics, metaphysics, and general philosophy of science.

Reviews for The Non-Fundamentality of Spacetime: General Relativity, Quantum Gravity, and Metaphysics

""This book combines novel, breakthrough contributions with insightful overviews of the state of the art in the foundations of spacetime."" Vera Matarese, University of Bern, Switzerland