Empiricist analysis of
spacetime theories
lecture course
Thu 16:00-17:30 Room
224
(The lectures will be given in English.
The exam can be taken in English or Hungarian.)
Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87134462148?pwd=RktuZWZWTGEvU0xKcmlGNnhqdzlPUT09
Codes:
BMI-LOTD-206E.08
BTK-LOGIKA-T02
BMA-LOTD-206.08
Contents
- Conventionalism, semantic convention,
operationalism, constitutive a priori, semantic
holism
- Absolute vs. relative conceptions and
objectivity
- Early 20th century definitions of distance and
time. Overlooked circularities and other issues
in the classical definitions. How relativistic
effects complicate matter - more issues
- Operational circularities vs. semantic holism
- Attempt for precise empirical definitions of
the basic spatio-temporal conceptions -
successes and failures
- Relativity to what?
- Spacetime, determinism, objective becoming
- Spacetime and existence: presentism vs.
eternalism, endurance vs. perdurance
- Spacetime and causality
- Spacetime and irreversibility
- Why just time?
Grading criteria, specific requirements
Oral exam from the material of the lectures. Video
records and the slides of the lectures will be
available.
Suggested readings
- L. E. Szabó: Empirical Foundation of Space and
Time, in M. Suárez, M. Dorato and M. Rédei
(eds.), EPSA07:
Launch of the European Philosophy of Science
Association, Springer 2009. [PDF]
- J. M. E. McTaggart: The
Unreality
of Time, in: The Philosophy of Time (Oxford
Readings in Philosophy), R. Le Poidevin, M.
MacBeath (eds.), Oxford University Press, 1993.
(Eredeti mű: The Nature of Existence, 33.
fejezet, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
1927.)
- H. Reichenbach: The Theory of Relativity
and A Priori Knowledge,
University of California Press, Berkeley and Los
Angeles, 1965.
- L. E. Szabó: On the meaning of Lorentz
covariance, Foundations
of
Physics Letters 17 (2004)
pp. 479 - 496 [preprint: PDF]
- L.E.
Szabó: A nyitott jövő problémája -
véletlen, kauzalitás és determinizmus a
fizikában (The Problem of Open Future
- chance, causality, and determinism in
physics), Typotex Kiadó, Budapest
2002 (The manuscript of the English
edition will be available for the students in
PDF form.)
- H.
Reichenbach: The
philosophy
of space and time, Dover Publications,
New York, 1958.
- M. Friedman: Foundations of Space-Time Theories --
Relativistic Physics and Philosophy of Science,
Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1983.
- J. S. Bell: How to teach special relativity,
in Speakable
and unspeakable in quantum mechanics,
Cambridge University Press, 1987.
- A. Einstein, Relativity:
The Special and General Theory
- L. E. Szabó: Lorentzian theories vs.
Einsteinian special relativity -- a
logico-empiricist reconstruction, in A. Maté, M.
Rédei and F. Stadler (eds.), Vienna Circle and
Hungary -- Veröffentlichungen des Instituts
Wiener Kreis, Springer 2011. [PDF]
- L. E. Szabó: Does special relativity theory
tell us anything new about space and time? [PDF]
(Prolog)
2021-04-16
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Videos
and slides
Exam:
Oral exam by Zoom.
Dates: Dec 16, Jan 5,
12, 19, 26
(Wed) 2PM
Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85997786159?pwd=
QmFxUXlFaG9WSkw
3REtPWGpvd1lMUT09
TTK-s és IK-s BSc hallgatók!
Filozófia
minor
TTK-s
és IK-s BSc hallgatók!
Logika és
tudományfilozófia MA szak
benne
A
fizika filozófiája
vagy
A
matematika filozófiája
alprogrammal!
(in
English)
The curriculum
includes core
courses in logic
and formal
approaches to
philosophy of
science, and
advanced optional
courses in logic,
philosophy of
mathematics,
foundations of
physics, logical
methods in
linguistics,
philosophy of
language,
metaphysics, and
formal models in
social sciences.
Students can
choose a focus
according to their
own fields of
interests. In
general, the
program is
research oriented,
aiming to prepare
students for a PhD
program.
>>>
Further details
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Master's
in Philosophy
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