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Loop Quantum Gravity: A New Threat to Humeanism? Part I: The Problem of Spacetime
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SYSNO ASEP 0504638 Document Type J - Journal Article R&D Document Type Journal Article Subsidiary J Článek ve WOS Title Loop Quantum Gravity: A New Threat to Humeanism? Part I: The Problem of Spacetime Author(s) Matarese, Vera (FLU-F) ORCID Source Title Foundations of Physics. - : Springer - ISSN 0015-9018
Roč. 49, č. 3 (2019), s. 232-259Number of pages 28 s. Publication form Print - P Language eng - English Country US - United States Keywords Humean supervenience ; Loop quantum gravity ; Spacetime ; Spin networks ; Wave function in Bohmian mechanics ; Realist and nomological interpretations Subject RIV AA - Philosophy ; Religion OECD category Philosophy, History and Philosophy of science and technology Method of publishing Limited access Institutional support FLU-F - RVO:67985955 UT WOS 000462458600004 EID SCOPUS 85062728424 DOI 10.1007/s10701-019-00242-6 Annotation 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. Workplace Institute of Philosophy Contact Chlumská Simona, chlumska@flu.cas.cz ; Tichá Zuzana, asep@flu.cas.cz Tel: 221 183 360 Year of Publishing 2020 Electronic address https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10701-019-00242-6
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