Empiricism and Relationism Intertwined: Hume and Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity

Slavov, Matias

doi:10.1387/theoria.14846

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 27 publications

(4 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Yet it should be punctuated that Hume's and Einstein's conceptions of space and time differ substantially [24]. In Hume's lofty epistemological doctrine, space and time are direct abstractions from simple perceptions.…”

Section: Einstein Poincaré Hume and Machmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Focal 1905 Point of Second Scientific Revolution: An Efficacious Matching of the Pivotal Research Traditions of Classical Physics

Nugayev¹

2020

PhIJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Einstein's 1905 'annus mirabilis' constituted the focal point of the second scientific revolution. To comprehend in what subtle ways Einstein's medley 1905 works hang together one has to pay special tribute to his strive for unity evinced in the stubborn attempts to coordinate the profound research traditions of classical physics. Though Einstein's adamant efforts sprung out of Max Planck's pioneering attempts to understand electromagnetic phenomena through the lense of conceptual structures of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. Einstein's light quanta and special relativity turn out to be only pencil sketches of a more mature and oil painting, mere milestones of implementation of maxwellian electrodynamics and statistical thermodynamics efficacious reconcilement research programme. The conception of luminiferous ether was a significant snag for Einstein's statistical thermodynamics in which the pivotal role was played by the light quanta paper. Herewith Einstein was fully aware that his light quanta hypothesis was too audacious to be taken literally. Hence he posited the 'electrodynamics of moving bodies' in a markedly Machian, phenomenological way and the basic relativity postulate was proposed as originating from ' instinctive knowledge' . Though in his criticism of the mouldy research traditions of classical physics Einstein was obviously influenced by David Hume and Ernst Mach, when related to creative momenta, his 1905 reconcilement modus operandi was initiated by Mach's pre-eminent principle of economy of thought but taken in the context of Stevin-Mach 'instinctive knowledge' doctrine and with promising inclinations of regulative spirit of Kantian and Duhem's epistemologies.

show abstract

Section: Einstein Poincaré Hume and Machmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Focal 1905 Point of Second Scientific Revolution: An Efficacious Matching of the Pivotal Research Traditions of Classical Physics

Nugayev¹

2020

PhIJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Both substantivalism and relationism lack observational consequences. 17 According to Slavov (2016), the development of special relativity was inspired by relationism. Einstein (1998: 220), in a letter to Schlick (quoted in Slavov 2016: 143), speaks of the influence that Mach's philosophy had on his own work, which is most likely a reference to Mach's relationism.…”

Section: The Success Of Mathematicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Formal Apology for Metaphysics

Baron¹

2019

Ergo, an Open Access Journal of Philosophy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There is an old meta-philosophical worry: very roughly, metaphysical theories have no observational consequences and so the study of metaphysics has no value. The worry has been around in some form since the rise of logical positivism in the early twentieth century but has seen a bit of a renaissance recently. In this paper, I provide an apology for metaphysics in the face of this kind of concern. The core of the argument is this: pure mathematics detaches from science in much the same manner as metaphysics and yet it is valuable nonetheless. The source of value enjoyed by pure mathematics extends to metaphysics as well. Accordingly, if one denies that metaphysics has value, then one is forced to deny that pure mathematics has value. The argument places an added burden on the sceptic of metaphysics. If one truly believes that metaphysics is worthless (as some philosophers do), then one must give up on pure mathematics as well.

show abstract

“…Hume and the empiricist tradition did not only shape Einstein's views on the epistemology of concepts. I have argued (Slavov 2016) that there are also analogies between Hume's and Einstein's ontological positions concerning space and time. They are both relationists.…”

Section: Hume and Einstein: Empiricism And Relativity Of Simultaneitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Hume, the philosophy of science, and the scientific tradition

Slavov¹

2018

The Humean Mind

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Empiricism and Relationism Intertwined: Hume and Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity

Cited by 8 publications

References 27 publications

The Focal 1905 Point of Second Scientific Revolution: An Efficacious Matching of the Pivotal Research Traditions of Classical Physics

The Focal 1905 Point of Second Scientific Revolution: An Efficacious Matching of the Pivotal Research Traditions of Classical Physics

A Formal Apology for Metaphysics

Hume, the philosophy of science, and the scientific tradition

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About