Talk by James Owen Weatherall at MCMP (Fri. 19. July)

[Dardashti, Radin]

Speaker: James Owen Weatherall (UC Irvine)
Friday 19th July 2013
Ludwigstr.31 Room E021
Time: 6 to 8 pm

Title: Inertial Motion, Explanation, and the Foundations of Classical 
Space-time Theories.

Abstract:
There is an influential view in physics and philosophy of physics, 
originating with Einstein and Eddington, that holds that general 
relativity is distinctive in the history of physics  because it can be 
used to "explain" inertial, or unforced, motion.  In this talk, I will 
describe how a reformulation of Newtonian gravitation may be used to 
provide insight into claims concerning the (allegedly) distinctive 
explanatory resources of relativity theory.  I will then argue that 
Newtonian gravitation can be understood to explain inertial motion in 
much the same way as general relativity.  However, a careful comparative 
study of the status of inertial motion in the two theories reveals that 
neither explanation is as clean or straightforward as adherents to the 
view noted above believe.  I will conclude by presenting a view about 
the interdependencies of the central principles of physical theories 
that I will argue provides some insight into a sense in which inertial 
motion is explained in both of these theories.