Gordon Belot
Dados Biográficos
| ID | 460125 |
|---|---|
| NOME | Gordon Belot |
| PRENOMES | Gordon |
| SOBRENOME | Belot |
| ASSINATURA | BELOT G |
| AFILIAÇÕES | University of Pittsburgh |
| VERIFICADO | Não |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 17 |
| TOTAL DE CITAÇÕES | 84 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 17 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMEIRO ANO DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 1995 |
| ANO MAIS RECENTE DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2023 |
| ÍNDICE H | 5 |
That Does Not Compute
Like Lewis, many philosophers hold reductionist accounts of chance (on which claims about chance are to be understood as claims that certain patterns of events are instantiated) and maintain that rationality requires that credence should defer to chance (in the sense that under certain circumstances one’s credence in an event must coincide with the chance of that event). It is a shortcoming of an account of chance if it implies that this norm of …
Accelerating Expansion
This is an exploration of some of the philosophical implications of modern cosmology, focused on the significance that the discovery of the accelerating expansion of our universe has for our understanding of time, geometry, and physics. The appearance of a term featuring a positive cosmological constant in the equations of general relativity allows one to model universes in which space has an inherent tendency towards expansion. The cosmological …
Curve-Fitting for Bayesians
Bayesians often assume, suppose, or conjecture that for any reasonable explication of the notion of simplicity a prior can be designed that will enforce a preference for hypotheses simpler in just that sense. But it is shown here that there are simplicity-driven approaches to curve-fitting problems that cannot be captured within the orthodox Bayesian framework. 1 Introduction2 A Curve-Fitting Problem3 No Bayesian Polly4 Prospects for a Generalize…
Down to Earth Underdetermination
Peer Reviewed
Bayesian Orgulity
A piece of folklore enjoys some currency among philosophical Bayesians, according to which Bayesian agents who, intuitively speaking, spread their credence over the entire space of available hypotheses are certain to converge to the truth. The goals of the current discussion are to show that that kernel of truth in this folklore is in some ways fairly small and to argue that Bayesian convergence-to-the-truth results are a liability for Bayesianis…
Geometric Possibility
Relationalism seeks to ground all claims about the structure of space in facts about actual and possible configurations of matter. Gordon Belot elucidates the prospects for this view of the nature of space by investigating the kew notion of geometric possibility in relation to philosophical notions of physical possibility.
Whose Devil? Which Details
Batterman has recently argued that fundamental theories are typically explanatorily inadequate, in that there exist physical phenomena whose explanation requires that the conceptual apparatus of a fundamental theory be supplemented by that of a less fundamental theory. This paper is an extended critical commentary on that argument: situating its importance, describing its structure, and developing a line of objection to it. The objection is that …
Dust, Time and Symmetry
Two symmetry arguments are discussed, each purporting to show that there is no more room for a preferred division of spacetime into instants of time in general relativistic cosmology than in Minkowski spacetime. The first argument is due to Gödel, and concerns the symmetries of his famous rotating cosmologies. The second turns upon the symmetries of a certain space of relativistic possibilities. Both arguments are found wanting. 1. Introduction 2…
Symmetry and gauge freedom
Remarks on the Geometry of Visibles
Journal Article Remarks on the Geometry of Visibles Get access Gordon Belot Gordon Belot New York University, USA Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The Philosophical Quarterly, Volume 53, Issue 213, October 2003, Pages 581–586, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9213.00334 Published: 29 August 2003
Chaos and Fundamentalism
It is natural to wonder what our multitude of successful physical theories tell us about the world—singly, and as a body. What are we to think when one theory tells us about a flat Newtonian spacetime, the next about a curved Lorentzian geometry, and we have hints of others, portraying discrete or higher-dimensional structures which look something like more familiar spacetimes in appropriate limits
Geometry and motion
Etude de la relation entre la nature du mouvement et la structure geometrique du monde, dans le cadre de la philosophie de l'espace et du temps. L'A. s'interesse d'abord a la physique pre-relativiste, puis a la these relationniste dans le contexte du relativisme moderne.
Time's Arrow and Archimedes' Point
Understanding Electromagnetism
It is often said that the Aharonov-Bohm effect shows that the vector potential enjoys more ontological significance than we previously realized. But how can a quantum-mechanical effect teach us something about the interpretation of Maxwell's theory—let alone about the ontological structure of the world—when both theories are false? I present a rational reconstruction of the interpretative repercussions of the Aharonov-Bohm effect, and suggest som…
Chaos out of order
Why General Relativity Does Need an Interpretation
There is a widespread impression that General Relativity, unlike Quantum Mechanics, is in no need of an interpretation. I present two reasons for thinking that this is a mistake. The first is the familiar hole argument. I argue that certain skeptical responses to this argument are too hasty in dismissing it as being irrelevant to the interpretative enterprise. My second reason is that interpretative questions about General Relativity are central …
New Work for Counterpart Theorists
Recently Carolyn Brighouse and Jeremy Butterfield have argued that David Lewis's counterpart theory makes it possible both to believe in the reality of spacetime points and to consider general relativity to be a deterministic theory, thus avoiding the ‘hole argument’ of John Earman and John Norton. Butterfield's argument relies on Lewis's own counterpart-theoretic analysis of determinism. In this paper, I argue that this analysis is inadequate. T…
Understanding Electromagnetism
It is often said that the Aharonov-Bohm effect shows that the vector potential enjoys more ontological significance than we previously realized. But how can a quantum-mechanical effect teach us something about the interpretation of Maxwell's theory—let alone about the ontological structure of the world—when both theories are false? I present a rational reconstruction of the interpretative repercussions of the Aharonov-Bohm effect, and suggest som…
Bayesian Orgulity
A piece of folklore enjoys some currency among philosophical Bayesians, according to which Bayesian agents who, intuitively speaking, spread their credence over the entire space of available hypotheses are certain to converge to the truth. The goals of the current discussion are to show that that kernel of truth in this folklore is in some ways fairly small and to argue that Bayesian convergence-to-the-truth results are a liability for Bayesianis…
Whose Devil? Which Details
Batterman has recently argued that fundamental theories are typically explanatorily inadequate, in that there exist physical phenomena whose explanation requires that the conceptual apparatus of a fundamental theory be supplemented by that of a less fundamental theory. This paper is an extended critical commentary on that argument: situating its importance, describing its structure, and developing a line of objection to it. The objection is that …
Geometry and motion
Etude de la relation entre la nature du mouvement et la structure geometrique du monde, dans le cadre de la philosophie de l'espace et du temps. L'A. s'interesse d'abord a la physique pre-relativiste, puis a la these relationniste dans le contexte du relativisme moderne.
New Work for Counterpart Theorists
Recently Carolyn Brighouse and Jeremy Butterfield have argued that David Lewis's counterpart theory makes it possible both to believe in the reality of spacetime points and to consider general relativity to be a deterministic theory, thus avoiding the ‘hole argument’ of John Earman and John Norton. Butterfield's argument relies on Lewis's own counterpart-theoretic analysis of determinism. In this paper, I argue that this analysis is inadequate. T…
Dust, Time and Symmetry
Two symmetry arguments are discussed, each purporting to show that there is no more room for a preferred division of spacetime into instants of time in general relativistic cosmology than in Minkowski spacetime. The first argument is due to Gödel, and concerns the symmetries of his famous rotating cosmologies. The second turns upon the symmetries of a certain space of relativistic possibilities. Both arguments are found wanting. 1. Introduction 2…
Down to Earth Underdetermination
Peer Reviewed
Why General Relativity Does Need an Interpretation
There is a widespread impression that General Relativity, unlike Quantum Mechanics, is in no need of an interpretation. I present two reasons for thinking that this is a mistake. The first is the familiar hole argument. I argue that certain skeptical responses to this argument are too hasty in dismissing it as being irrelevant to the interpretative enterprise. My second reason is that interpretative questions about General Relativity are central …
Accelerating Expansion
This is an exploration of some of the philosophical implications of modern cosmology, focused on the significance that the discovery of the accelerating expansion of our universe has for our understanding of time, geometry, and physics. The appearance of a term featuring a positive cosmological constant in the equations of general relativity allows one to model universes in which space has an inherent tendency towards expansion. The cosmological …
Remarks on the Geometry of Visibles
Journal Article Remarks on the Geometry of Visibles Get access Gordon Belot Gordon Belot New York University, USA Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The Philosophical Quarterly, Volume 53, Issue 213, October 2003, Pages 581–586, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9213.00334 Published: 29 August 2003
New Work for Counterpart Theorists
Recently Carolyn Brighouse and Jeremy Butterfield have argued that David Lewis's counterpart theory makes it possible both to believe in the reality of spacetime points and to consider general relativity to be a deterministic theory, thus avoiding the ‘hole argument’ of John Earman and John Norton. Butterfield's argument relies on Lewis's own counterpart-theoretic analysis of determinism. In this paper, I argue that this analysis is inadequate. T…
Why General Relativity Does Need an Interpretation
There is a widespread impression that General Relativity, unlike Quantum Mechanics, is in no need of an interpretation. I present two reasons for thinking that this is a mistake. The first is the familiar hole argument. I argue that certain skeptical responses to this argument are too hasty in dismissing it as being irrelevant to the interpretative enterprise. My second reason is that interpretative questions about General Relativity are central …
Chaos out of order
Time's Arrow and Archimedes' Point
Understanding Electromagnetism
It is often said that the Aharonov-Bohm effect shows that the vector potential enjoys more ontological significance than we previously realized. But how can a quantum-mechanical effect teach us something about the interpretation of Maxwell's theory—let alone about the ontological structure of the world—when both theories are false? I present a rational reconstruction of the interpretative repercussions of the Aharonov-Bohm effect, and suggest som…
Chaos and Fundamentalism
It is natural to wonder what our multitude of successful physical theories tell us about the world—singly, and as a body. What are we to think when one theory tells us about a flat Newtonian spacetime, the next about a curved Lorentzian geometry, and we have hints of others, portraying discrete or higher-dimensional structures which look something like more familiar spacetimes in appropriate limits
Geometry and motion
Etude de la relation entre la nature du mouvement et la structure geometrique du monde, dans le cadre de la philosophie de l'espace et du temps. L'A. s'interesse d'abord a la physique pre-relativiste, puis a la these relationniste dans le contexte du relativisme moderne.
Symmetry and gauge freedom
Remarks on the Geometry of Visibles
Journal Article Remarks on the Geometry of Visibles Get access Gordon Belot Gordon Belot New York University, USA Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The Philosophical Quarterly, Volume 53, Issue 213, October 2003, Pages 581–586, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9213.00334 Published: 29 August 2003
Whose Devil? Which Details
Batterman has recently argued that fundamental theories are typically explanatorily inadequate, in that there exist physical phenomena whose explanation requires that the conceptual apparatus of a fundamental theory be supplemented by that of a less fundamental theory. This paper is an extended critical commentary on that argument: situating its importance, describing its structure, and developing a line of objection to it. The objection is that …
Dust, Time and Symmetry
Two symmetry arguments are discussed, each purporting to show that there is no more room for a preferred division of spacetime into instants of time in general relativistic cosmology than in Minkowski spacetime. The first argument is due to Gödel, and concerns the symmetries of his famous rotating cosmologies. The second turns upon the symmetries of a certain space of relativistic possibilities. Both arguments are found wanting. 1. Introduction 2…
Geometric Possibility
Relationalism seeks to ground all claims about the structure of space in facts about actual and possible configurations of matter. Gordon Belot elucidates the prospects for this view of the nature of space by investigating the kew notion of geometric possibility in relation to philosophical notions of physical possibility.
Bayesian Orgulity
A piece of folklore enjoys some currency among philosophical Bayesians, according to which Bayesian agents who, intuitively speaking, spread their credence over the entire space of available hypotheses are certain to converge to the truth. The goals of the current discussion are to show that that kernel of truth in this folklore is in some ways fairly small and to argue that Bayesian convergence-to-the-truth results are a liability for Bayesianis…
Down to Earth Underdetermination
Peer Reviewed
Curve-Fitting for Bayesians
Bayesians often assume, suppose, or conjecture that for any reasonable explication of the notion of simplicity a prior can be designed that will enforce a preference for hypotheses simpler in just that sense. But it is shown here that there are simplicity-driven approaches to curve-fitting problems that cannot be captured within the orthodox Bayesian framework. 1 Introduction2 A Curve-Fitting Problem3 No Bayesian Polly4 Prospects for a Generalize…
That Does Not Compute
Like Lewis, many philosophers hold reductionist accounts of chance (on which claims about chance are to be understood as claims that certain patterns of events are instantiated) and maintain that rationality requires that credence should defer to chance (in the sense that under certain circumstances one’s credence in an event must coincide with the chance of that event). It is a shortcoming of an account of chance if it implies that this norm of …
Accelerating Expansion
This is an exploration of some of the philosophical implications of modern cosmology, focused on the significance that the discovery of the accelerating expansion of our universe has for our understanding of time, geometry, and physics. The appearance of a term featuring a positive cosmological constant in the equations of general relativity allows one to model universes in which space has an inherent tendency towards expansion. The cosmological …
Philosophy (11 obras) · Epistemology (10 obras) · Physics (10 obras) · Theoretical physics (10 obras) · Quantum mechanics (9 obras) · Computer Science (8 obras) · Mathematics (8 obras) · Quantum Mechanics and Applications (7 obras) · Relativity and Gravitational Theory (6 obras) · Classical mechanics (5 obras)