Loop Quantum Gravity: A New Threat to Humeanism? Part I: The Problem of Spacetime

0504638 - FLÚ 2020 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Matarese, Vera
Loop Quantum Gravity: A New Threat to Humeanism? Part I: The Problem of Spacetime.
Foundations of Physics. Roč. 49, č. 3 (2019), s. 232-259. ISSN 0015-9018. E-ISSN 1572-9516
Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) AP1602
Program: Akademická prémie - Praemium Academiae
Institutional support: RVO:67985955
Keywords : Humean supervenience * Loop quantum gravity * Spacetime * Spin networks * Wave function in Bohmian mechanics * Realist and nomological interpretations
OECD category: Philosophy, History and Philosophy of science and technology
Impact factor: 1.437, year: 2019
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10701-019-00242-6

In this paper, I discuss whether the results of loop quantum gravity (LQG) constitute a fatal blow to Humeanism. There is at least a prima facie reason for believing so: while Humeanism regards spatiotemporal relations as fundamental, LQG describes the fundamental layer of our reality in terms of spin networks, which are not in spacetime. However, the question should be tackled more carefully. After explaining the importance of the debate on the tenability of Humeanism in light of LQG, and having presented the Humean doctrine, I review two cases which present serious threats to Humeanism, one concerning the fundamentality of vectorial quantities and the other concerning quantum entanglement. In particular, I recall the strategies that are usually employed in these two cases in order to save Humeanism: in the first case, the strategy consists in amending the characterization of the Humean mosaic, in the second case, it consists in adopting a realist or nomological interpretation of the wave function. These solutions will turn out to be helpful in my discussion of LQG where, after describing LQG, I show that Humeans might save their doctrine either by endorsing a realist interpretation of spin networks, or by giving them a nomological status and, at the same time, by revisiting the characterization of the Humean mosaic. However, I conclude that both solutions are wanting.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0296225