Quantum Gravity Meets &HPS

Constraints and divergent assessments of fertility in non-empirical physics in the history of the string theory controversy

“…Considerations of the role of methodological virtues in the historical development of theories of quantum gravity can be found in Rickles (2011). Rickles argues that the methodological virtues that guide research in quantum gravity have not been empirically based and yet the history of quantum gravity is full of failed theories, asking "if not the standard methodological virtues, what is guiding theory constructions and selection is this case?"…”

Peter Bergmann on observables in Hamiltonian General Relativity: A historical-critical investigation

“…Early work in canonical quantum gravity recently has received considerable attention including a reprint volume and a monograph, as well as a translation and commentary on Rosenfeld's groundbreaking work-work that was not continued or even remembered for most of two decades (Rosenfeld, 1930;Salisbury and Sundermeyer, 2017;Salisbury, 2010;Rickles and Blum, 2015;Salisbury, 2020;Rickles, 2012;Blum and Salisbury, 2018;Rickles, 2020). This paper has some similarities to Salisbury's account, especially regarding the loss of aspiration to exhibit 4-dimensional coordinate symmetry in canonical or canonically quantized General Relativity (Salisbury, 2020;Salisbury, 2021).…”

Quantum Cultures during the Prehistory of Quantum Gravity: Léon Rosenfeld's Early Contributions to Quantum Gravity

“…String Theory, Supergravity (N = 8), Loop Quantum Gravity, noncommutative geometry and so on, a consistent theory is still lacking. From the point of view of History and Philosophy of Science: 'QG, broadly construed, is the physical theory (still "under construction") incorporating both the principles of general relativity (GR) and quantum theory' [emphasis added] ( [Rickles 2016]). "Broadly construed" means that all the attempts in this direction have contributed to our modern understanding of the difficulties in constructing a consistent theory of QG, even those approaches that did not quantize the gravitational interaction.…”