James Owen Weatherall
Datos Biográficos
| ID | 978426 |
|---|---|
| NOMBRE | James Owen Weatherall |
| NOMBRES | James Owen |
| APELLIDO | Weatherall |
| FIRMA | WEATHERALL J O |
| AFILIACIONES | University of California, Irvine |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1461-7821 |
| VERIFICADO | Sí |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 49 |
| TOTAL DE CITAS | 151 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 50 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMER AÑO DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2011 |
| AÑO MÁS RECIENTE DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 7 |
On (Some) Gauge Theories of Gravity
I consider the sense in which teleparallel gravity and symmetric teleparallel gravity may be understood as gauge theories of gravity. I first argue that both theories have surplus structure. I then consider the relationship between Yang-Mills theory and Poincaré Gauge Theory and argue that though these use similar formalisms, there are subtle disanalogies in their interpretation
Deterministic Theories
Determinism is (roughly) the thesis that the past determines the future. But efforts to define it precisely have exposed deep methodological disagreements. Standard possible‐worlds formulations of determinism presuppose an “agreement” relation between worlds, but this relation can be understood in multiple ways, none of which is particularly clear. We critically examine the proliferation of definitions of determinism in the recent literature, arg…
Natural Theories
A Puzzle About General Covariance and Gauge
Determinism and Asymmetry in General Relativity
This paper concerns the question of which collections of general relativistic spacetimes are deterministic relative to which definitions. We begin by considering a series of three definitions of increasing strength due to Belot (1995). The strongest of these definitions is particularly interesting for spacetime theories because it involves an asymmetry condition called ``rigidity'' that has been studied previously in a different context (Geroch 1…
Dark Energy or Modified Gravity
We consider some of the epistemic benefits of exploring “theory space” in the context of modifications of general relativity with intended applications in cosmology. We show how studying modifications of general relativity can help in assessing the robustness of empirical inferences, particularly in inaccessible regimes. We also discuss challenges to sharply distinguishing apparently distinct directions in theory space
Torsion in the Classical Spacetime Context
Teleparallel gravity, an empirically equivalent counterpart to general relativity, represents the influence of gravity using torsional forces. It raises questions about theory interpretation and underdetermination. To better understand the torsional forces of teleparallel gravity, we consider a context in which forces are better understood: classical spacetimes. We propose a method of incorporating torsion into the classical spacetime context tha…
Fake News
We review several topics of philosophical interest connected to misleading online content. First we consider proposed definitions of different types of misleading content. Then we consider the epistemology of misinformation, focusing on approaches from virtue epistemology and social epistemology. Finally we discuss how misinformation is related to belief polarization, and argue that models of rational polarization present special challenges for c…
On automorphism criteria for comparing amounts of mathematical structure
Wilhelm (Forthcom Synth 199:6357–6369, 2021) has recently defended a criterion for comparing structure of mathematical objects, which he calls Subgroup. He argues that Subgroup is better than SYM $$^*$$ ∗ , another widely adopted criterion. We argue that this is mistaken; Subgroup is strictly worse than SYM $$^*$$ ∗ . We then formulate a new criterion that improves on both SYM $$^*$$ ∗ and Subgroup, answering Wilhelm’s criticisms of SYM $$^*$$ ∗ …
Where Does General Relativity Break Down
It is widely accepted by physicists and philosophers of physics alike that there are certain contexts in which general relativity will “break down.” In such cases, one expects to need some as-yet-undiscovered successor theory. This article discusses certain pathologies of general relativity that might be taken to signal that the theory is breaking down and considers how one might expect a successor theory to do better. The upshot is an unconventi…
Between a Stone and a Hausdorff Space
We consider the duality between General Relativity and the theory of Einstein algebras, in the extended setting where one permits non-Hausdorff manifolds. We show that the duality breaks down, and then go on to discuss a sense in which general relativity, formulated using non-Hausdorff manifolds, exhibits excess structure when compared to Einstein algebras. We discuss how these results bear on a class of algebraically-motivated deflationist views…
The Best Paper You’ll Read Today
Scientific curation, where scientific evidence is selected and shared, is essential to public belief formation about science. Yet common curation practices can distort the body of evidence the public sees. Focusing on science journalism, we employ computational models to investigate how such distortions influence public belief. We consider these effects for agents with and without confirmation bias. We find that standard journalistic practices ca…
Mathematical Responses to the Hole Argument
We argue that several apparently distinct responses to the hole argument, all invoking formal or mathematical considerations, should be viewed as a unified “mathematical response.” We then consider and rebut two prominent critiques of the mathematical response before reflecting on what is ultimately at issue in this literature
Two dogmas of dynamicism
Conformity in scientific networks
Endogenous epistemic factionalization
Void
False Beliefs and the Social Structure of Science
Some Philosophical Prehistory of the (Earman-Norton) hole argument
Equivalence and Duality in Electromagnetism
In this article I bring the recent philosophical literature on theoretical equivalence to bear on dualities in physics. Focusing on electromagnetic duality, which is a simple example of S-duality in string theory, I show that the duality fits naturally into at least one framework for assessing equivalence—that of categorical equivalence—but that it fails to meet a necessary condition for equivalence on that account. The reason is that the duality…
How to Beat Science and Influence People
The Misinformation Age
Conservation, inertia, and spacetime geometry
Why Be regular?, part I
Why be regular? Part II
Regarding the ‘Hole Argument’
I argue that the hole argument is based on a misleading use of the mathematical formalism of general relativity. If one is attentive to mathematical practice, I will argue, the hole argument is blocked. 1. Introduction2. A Warmup Exercise3. The Hole Argument4. An Argument from Classical Spacetime Theory5. The Hole Argument Revisited
Understanding Gauge
I consider two usages of the expression “gauge theory.” On one, a gauge theory is a theory with excess structure; on the other, a gauge theory is any theory appropriately related to classical electromagnetism. I make precise one sense in which one formulation of electromagnetism, the paradigmatic gauge theory on both usages, may be understood to have excess structure and then argue that gauge theories on the second usage, including Yang-Mills the…
How to Beat Science and Influence People
Maxwell-Huygens, Newton-Cartan, and Saunders-Knox Space-Times
I address a question recently raised by Simon Saunders concerning the relationship between the space-time structure of Newton-Cartan theory and that of what I will call “Maxwell-Huygens space-time.” This discussion will also clarify a connection between Saunders’s work and a recent paper by Eleanor Knox
Fiber bundles, Yang–Mills theory, and general relativity
Two dogmas of dynamicism
Conformity in scientific networks
On (Some) Explanations in Physics
I offer an explanation of why inertial and gravitational mass are equal in Newtonian gravitation. I then argue that this is an example of a kind of explanation that is not captured by standard philosophical accounts of scientific explanation. Moreover, this form of explanation is particularly important, at least in physics, because demands for this kind of explanation are used to motivate and shape research into the next generation of physical th…
Endogenous epistemic factionalization
Part 1
I review the philosophical literature on the question of when two physical theories are equivalent. This includes a discussion of empirical equivalence, which is often taken to be necessary, and sometimes taken to be sufficient, for theoretical equivalence; and "interpretational" equivalence, which is the idea that two theories are equivalent just in case they have the same interpretation. It also includes a discussion of several formal notions o…
The Geometry of Conventionality
There is a venerable position in the philosophy of space and time that holds that the geometry of spacetime is conventional, provided one is willing to postulate a “universal force field.” Here we ask a more focused question, inspired by this literature: in the context of our best classical theories of space and time, if one understands “force” in the standard way, can one accommodate different geometries by postulating a new force field? We argu…
Part 2
I review the philosophical literature on the question of when two physical theories are equivalent. This includes a discussion of empirical equivalence, which is often taken to be necessary, and sometimes taken to be sufficient, for theoretical equivalence; and "interpretational" equivalence, which is the idea that two theories are equivalent just in case they have the same interpretation. It also includes a discussion of several formal notions o…
Market crashes as critical phenomena? Explanation, idealization, and universality in econophysics
Mathematical Responses to the Hole Argument
We argue that several apparently distinct responses to the hole argument, all invoking formal or mathematical considerations, should be viewed as a unified “mathematical response.” We then consider and rebut two prominent critiques of the mathematical response before reflecting on what is ultimately at issue in this literature
Where Does General Relativity Break Down
It is widely accepted by physicists and philosophers of physics alike that there are certain contexts in which general relativity will “break down.” In such cases, one expects to need some as-yet-undiscovered successor theory. This article discusses certain pathologies of general relativity that might be taken to signal that the theory is breaking down and considers how one might expect a successor theory to do better. The upshot is an unconventi…
Fake News
We review several topics of philosophical interest connected to misleading online content. First we consider proposed definitions of different types of misleading content. Then we consider the epistemology of misinformation, focusing on approaches from virtue epistemology and social epistemology. Finally we discuss how misinformation is related to belief polarization, and argue that models of rational polarization present special challenges for c…
Comprehending and Regulating Financial Crises
The 2008 financial crisis revealed that key players in finance, regulation, and the academy failed to understand realities outside their own area of expertise. Within the academy, scholars from an increasing number of disciplines study finance, and yet few of them seem to be in conversation. Perhaps understandably, given the complexity of a phenomenon such as "financial crisis," no single discipline has yet offered an adequate analysis of what ha…
Torsion in the Classical Spacetime Context
Teleparallel gravity, an empirically equivalent counterpart to general relativity, represents the influence of gravity using torsional forces. It raises questions about theory interpretation and underdetermination. To better understand the torsional forces of teleparallel gravity, we consider a context in which forces are better understood: classical spacetimes. We propose a method of incorporating torsion into the classical spacetime context tha…
On automorphism criteria for comparing amounts of mathematical structure
Wilhelm (Forthcom Synth 199:6357–6369, 2021) has recently defended a criterion for comparing structure of mathematical objects, which he calls Subgroup. He argues that Subgroup is better than SYM $$^*$$ ∗ , another widely adopted criterion. We argue that this is mistaken; Subgroup is strictly worse than SYM $$^*$$ ∗ . We then formulate a new criterion that improves on both SYM $$^*$$ ∗ and Subgroup, answering Wilhelm’s criticisms of SYM $$^*$$ ∗ …
Equivalence and Duality in Electromagnetism
In this article I bring the recent philosophical literature on theoretical equivalence to bear on dualities in physics. Focusing on electromagnetic duality, which is a simple example of S-duality in string theory, I show that the duality fits naturally into at least one framework for assessing equivalence—that of categorical equivalence—but that it fails to meet a necessary condition for equivalence on that account. The reason is that the duality…
The Peculiar Logic of the Black-Scholes Model
The Black-Scholes(-Merton) model of options pricing establishes a theoretical relationship between the “fair” price of an option and other parameters characterizing the option and prevailing market conditions. Here I discuss a common application of the model with the following striking feature: the (expected) output of analysis apparently contradicts one of the core assumptions of the model on which the analysis is based. I will present several a…
On the status of the geodesic principle in Newtonian and relativistic physics
On (Some) Explanations in Physics
I offer an explanation of why inertial and gravitational mass are equal in Newtonian gravitation. I then argue that this is an example of a kind of explanation that is not captured by standard philosophical accounts of scientific explanation. Moreover, this form of explanation is particularly important, at least in physics, because demands for this kind of explanation are used to motivate and shape research into the next generation of physical th…
Relativistic causality
Against dogma
The Geometry of Conventionality
There is a venerable position in the philosophy of space and time that holds that the geometry of spacetime is conventional, provided one is willing to postulate a “universal force field.” Here we ask a more focused question, inspired by this literature: in the context of our best classical theories of space and time, if one understands “force” in the standard way, can one accommodate different geometries by postulating a new force field? We argu…
What Is a Singularity in Geometrized Newtonian Gravitation
I discuss singular space-times in the context of the geometrized formulation of Newtonian gravitation. I argue first that geodesic incompleteness is a natural criterion for when a model of geometrized Newtonian gravitation is singular, and then I show that singularities in this sense arise naturally in classical physics by stating and proving a classical version of the Raychaudhuri-Komar singularity theorem
On Einstein algebras and relativistic spacetimes
Interpreting Quantum Theories
Most philosophical work on quantum physics has concerned simple systems. And for good reason. Even one or two particle systems can exhibit the striking features we have come to associate with quantum physics—features such as entanglement, interference, and nonlocality. But as far as physics goes, such systems barely scrape the surface. In particular, they have only a finite number of degrees of freedom, which means their states are characterized …
Void
Are Newtonian Gravitation and Geometrized Newtonian Gravitation Theoretically Equivalent?
Fiber bundles, Yang–Mills theory, and general relativity
Understanding Gauge
I consider two usages of the expression “gauge theory.” On one, a gauge theory is a theory with excess structure; on the other, a gauge theory is any theory appropriately related to classical electromagnetism. I make precise one sense in which one formulation of electromagnetism, the paradigmatic gauge theory on both usages, may be understood to have excess structure and then argue that gauge theories on the second usage, including Yang-Mills the…
Maxwell-Huygens, Newton-Cartan, and Saunders-Knox Space-Times
I address a question recently raised by Simon Saunders concerning the relationship between the space-time structure of Newton-Cartan theory and that of what I will call “Maxwell-Huygens space-time.” This discussion will also clarify a connection between Saunders’s work and a recent paper by Eleanor Knox
Comprehending and Regulating Financial Crises
The 2008 financial crisis revealed that key players in finance, regulation, and the academy failed to understand realities outside their own area of expertise. Within the academy, scholars from an increasing number of disciplines study finance, and yet few of them seem to be in conversation. Perhaps understandably, given the complexity of a phenomenon such as "financial crisis," no single discipline has yet offered an adequate analysis of what ha…
Money Talks
Scientific Polarization
A brief comment on Maxwell(/Newton)[-Huygens] spacetime
Would two dimensions be world enough for spacetime
Scientific polarization
Market crashes as critical phenomena? Explanation, idealization, and universality in econophysics
The Peculiar Logic of the Black-Scholes Model
The Black-Scholes(-Merton) model of options pricing establishes a theoretical relationship between the “fair” price of an option and other parameters characterizing the option and prevailing market conditions. Here I discuss a common application of the model with the following striking feature: the (expected) output of analysis apparently contradicts one of the core assumptions of the model on which the analysis is based. I will present several a…
Regarding the ‘Hole Argument’
I argue that the hole argument is based on a misleading use of the mathematical formalism of general relativity. If one is attentive to mathematical practice, I will argue, the hole argument is blocked. 1. Introduction2. A Warmup Exercise3. The Hole Argument4. An Argument from Classical Spacetime Theory5. The Hole Argument Revisited
The Misinformation Age
Conservation, inertia, and spacetime geometry
Why Be regular?, part I
Philosophy (27 obras) · Physics (26 obras) · Relativity and Gravitational Theory (26 obras) · Epistemology (25 obras) · Mathematics (22 obras) · Theoretical physics (22 obras) · Quantum mechanics (17 obras) · Quantum Mechanics and Applications (13 obras) · Theory of relativity (13 obras) · Classical mechanics (12 obras)