Towards a Theory of Spacetime Theories

By: Dennis Lehmkuhl and Gregor Schiemann and Erhard Scholz

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Synopsis: This book discusses different meta-theoretical questions and frameworks posed to the set of empirically adequate space of spacetime theories. It brings together contributions from theoretical and mathematical physicists, philosophers, and historians of science, working together towards a theory of spacetime theories. With the creation of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity (GR) in 1915, a new understanding of space, time, and gravitation was accepted. From the very beginning, however, GR faced a variety of relativistic competitors for the correct relativistic theory of spacetime and gravitation. Some of the most promising contenders for the correct theory of gravity have been proposed in the last 20 years, whereas others have existed since the 1930s and are still as empirically adequate as GR. This development makes a set of questions first posed in the 1950s more relevant than ever: How do we compare these spacetime theories? How do we judge, objectively, which is the "best" theory? Is there even a unique answer to this question? What do the theories have in common, and how do they differ? Addressing these questions and more, this text will be a useful resource for theoretical and mathematical physicists, philosophers, and historians of science working with or interested in General Relativity and/or space, time and gravitation more generally.