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Poincaré on the Construction of Space-Time

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Poincaré, Philosopher of Science

Part of the book series: The Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science ((WONS,volume 79))

Abstract

One of the enduring challenges for the interpreter of Poincaré is to understand the connections between his analysis of the geometry of space and his view of the development of the theory of space-time. On the one hand, he saw that the invariance group of electrodynamics determines a four-dimensional space with a peculiar metrical structure. On the other hand, he resisted Einstein’s special theory of relativity, and continued to regard the Newtonian space-time structure as a sufficient foundation for the laws of physics. I propose to approach this question by considering the privileged position that space plays, according to Poincaré, in our conception of the physical world, and particularly in the construction of the fundamental concepts by which physical processes submit to objective measurement. Poincaré’s position results from granting the concept of space an epistemological priority that, in the face of modern physics, it was unable to sustain.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For an insightful recent analysis of Poincaré ’s conventionalism , and its significance for the development of the philosophy of science, see Ben-Menahem (2006). For analysis of Poincaré’s role in the history of analytic philosophy, see Coffa (1983, 1991).

  2. 2.

    On the connection between Helmholtz ’s empiricism and Poincaré ’s conventionalism , see DiSalle 2006 (Chap. 3).

  3. 3.

    See in particular Torretti (1977) for the philosophical origins and development of empiricism and conventionalism .

  4. 4.

    On the development of the concept of inertial frame, see DiSalle (2009); on Mach ’s role in this development, see DiSalle (2002).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B8, Canada

    Robert DiSalle

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  1. Robert DiSalle
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Correspondence to Robert DiSalle .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Philosophy of Science at the University of Lisbon (CFCUL), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    María de Paz

  2. Department of Philosophy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

    Robert DiSalle

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DiSalle, R. (2014). Poincaré on the Construction of Space-Time. In: de Paz, M., DiSalle, R. (eds) Poincaré, Philosopher of Science. The Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science, vol 79. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8780-2_10

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