Skip to main content
Log in

Reconstructing the Basic Concepts of General Relativity from an Educational and Cultural Point of View

  • Published:
Science & Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Research in the history and philosophy of physics hasshown that the formalism of General Relativity can be interpreted in several different ways and,consequently, its teaching is very problematic. The present contribution is an example of a reconstruction of thedebate concerning the foundations of General Relativity on the basis of cultural and educational criteria.In particular, the debate will be presented as guided by the concept of space, and by the different perspectives from whichsuch a concept can be viewed. It will be pointed out that the various ways of looking at space give powerfulcriteria not only to create an order among the interpretations, but also to exploit the educational and culturalvalue of the debate.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alexander, H.G. (ed.): 1956, The Leibniz-Clark Correspondence, Manchester University Press, Manchester.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barbour, J. & Pfister, H. (eds.): 1995, Mach's Principle. From Newton's Bucket to Quantum Gravity, Einstein Studies, Vol. 6, Birkhäuser, Boston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bevilacqua, F.: 1999, ‘Teaching Controversy in Teaching Science’, plenary lecture at the Second Joint Conference–Science as Culture–Como-Pavia (www.cilea.it/volta99).

  • Boniolo, G. & Dorato, M.: 1997, ‘Dalla relatività galileiana alla relatività generale’, in G. Boniolo (ed.), Filosofia della fisica, Mondadori, Milano, pp. 5-167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyd, R.: 1979, ‘Metaphor and Theory Change: What is “Metaphor” a Metaphor for?’, in A. Ortony (ed.), Metaphor and Thought, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 356-408.

    Google Scholar 

  • Earman, J. & Norton, J.: 1987, ‘What Price Substantivalism? The Hole Story’, Brit. J.; Phil. Sci. 38, 515-525.

    Google Scholar 

  • Einstein, A.: 1916a, ‘Die Grundlage der allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie’, Annalen der Physik,Vol. 49 (‘The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity’, in H.A. Lorentz, A. Einstein, H. Minkowski & H. Weyl (1952), The Principle of Relativity. A Collection of Original Memoirs on the Special and General Theory of Relativity (with notes by A. Sommerfeld), Dover Publications, New York, pp. 109-164).

    Google Scholar 

  • Einstein, A.: 1916b, Ñber die spezielle und allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie (gemeinveständlich) (Relativity, The Special and the General Theory: A Popular Exposition, 15th edn, R. W. Lawson, trans., Methuen, London, 1954).

  • Einstein, A.: 1952, Relativity and the Problem of Space, in A. Einstein (1954), Ideas and Opinions, trans. Sonja Bergmann, Crown Publisher, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Einstein, A.: 1954, Ideas and Opinions, trans. Sonja Bergmann, Crown Publisher, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, M.: 1983, Foundations of Space-Time Theories, Princeton University Press, Princeton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giannetto, E.: 1995, ‘Henri Poincaré and the Rise of Special Relativity’, Hadronic Journal Supplement 10, 365-433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimellini Tomasini, N., Levrini, O., Casadio, C., Clementi, M. & Medri Senni, S.: 1999, ‘Insegnare fisica per nuclei fondanti: un esempio riferito al concetto di spazio’, La Fisica nella Scuola XXXII(4), 202-213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawking, S.W. & Ellis, G.F.R: 1973, The Large-Scale Structure of Space-Time, Cambridge University Press, London and New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kretschmann, E.: 1917, ‘Ñber den physikalischen Sinn der Relativitätspostulate, A. Einstein's neue und seine ursprüngliche Relativitätstheorie’, Annalen der Physik 53, 575-614.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levrini, O.: 1999, ‘Relatività ristretta e concezioni di spazio’, Giornale di fisica XL(4), 205-220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levrini, O.: 2000a, Analysing the Possible Interpretations of the Formalism of General Relativity: Implications for Teaching, Ph.D. dissertation, Physics Department, University of Bologna, Italy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levrini, O.: 2000b, Teaching Modern Physics by a Modern Teaching of Classical Physics. The Case of General Relativity, pre-print.

  • Mach, E.: 1883, Die Mechanik in ihrer Entwickelung, historisch-kritisch dargestellt (The Science of Mechanics: A Critical and Historical Account of its Development, La Salle; Open Court, 1960).

  • Minkowski, H.: 1909, Raum und Zeit, Physikalische Zeitschrift 10(3), 104-111 (‘space and Time’, in H.A. Lorentz, A. Einstein, H. Minkowski & H. Weyl (1952), The Principle of Relativity. A Collection of Original Memoirs on the Special and General Theory of Relativity (with notes by Sommerfeld), Dover Publications, New York, pp. 73-96).

  • Misner, C.W., Thorne, K.S., Wheeler, J.A.: 1970, Gravitation, W.A. Freeman and Co., San Francisco.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norton, J.: 1989, ‘What was Einstein's Principle of Equivalence?’, in D. Howard & J. Stachel (eds.), Einstein and the History of General Relativity, Einstein Studies, Vol. 1, Birkhäuser, Boston, pp. 5-47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norton, J.: 1992, ‘The Physical Content of General Covariance’, in J. Eisenstaedt & A.J. Kox (eds.), Studies in the History of General Relativity, Einstein Studies, Vol. 3, Birkhäuser, Boston, pp. 281-315.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ortony, A. (ed.): 1979, Metaphor and Thought, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pais, A.: 1982, Subtle is the Lord..., The Science and the Life of Albert Einstein, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pauli, W.: 1921, ‘Relativitätstheorie’, in A. Sommerfeld (ed.), Encyklopädie der mathematishen Wissenshaften, mit Einschluss ihrer Anwendungen, Vol. 5, Physik, part 2. B.G. Teubner, Leipzig, 1904’1922, pp. 539-775 (Theory of Relativity, Pergamon, London, 1958).

    Google Scholar 

  • Poincaré, J.H.: 1902, La Science et l'Hypothèse, Flammarion, Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schutz, R.F.: 1985, A First Course in General Relativity, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sciama, D.W.:1953, ‘On the Origin of Inertia’, Mon. Not. R.A.S. 113, 34-42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sciama, D.W.: 1959, The Unity of the Universe, Faber and Faber, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sciama, D.W.: 1969, The Physical Foundations of General Relativity, Doubleday & Company, Inc.

  • Smolin, L. 1997: The Life of the Cosmos, Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Speziali, P. (ed.): 1972, Albert Einstein–Michele Besso. Correspondence 1903-1955, Hermann, Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinberg, S.: 1972, Gravitation and Cosmology, Wiley and Sons, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinberg S.: 1992, Dreams of a Final Theory, Wintage.

  • Wheeler, J.A.: 1990, A Journey into Gravity and Spacetime, W.H. Freeman and Company, New York.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Levrini, O. Reconstructing the Basic Concepts of General Relativity from an Educational and Cultural Point of View. Science & Education 11, 263–278 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015297814508

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015297814508

Keywords

Navigation