Foundations of Space Time Theories: Relativistic Physics and Philosophy of Scien

Michael Friedman “Foundations of Space-Time Theories: Relativistic Physics and Philosophy of Science"

Princeton University Press | 1983-01 | ISBN: 0691072396 | 385 pages | Djvu | 2,4 MB

Reader's review:

It isn't often that one comes across books of this calibre: Friedman has put together nothing short of a masterpiece. His depth and clarity of exposition are laudable, and so are his findings.

In an impressive effort, Friedman has found his way through the intricate and tangled maze--or mess--that spacetime physics and philosophy has become. The most important revelation to be learnt is in what sense theoretical spacetime remains an absolute and literal reality despite its unobservability: on the one hand, general relativity did not achieve a relativization of all motion (or Mach's programme), and in it acceleration remains an absolute concept; on the other, spacetime can be granted physical reality (rather than it being a mere mathematical representation) due to its theoretical unifying power.

Friedman's book exceeded my already high expectations. In a time in which lousy scientific writing has become commonplace, it is an utmost pleasure to stumble upon a book such as this one. To put it in a nutshell, this book is enlightening in an extraordinary way.

---No mirrors, please---