HPS 0410 Einstein for Everyone  Back to main course page
Philosophical Significance of the Special Theory of Relativity
What does it all mean?  John D. Norton Department of History and
Philosophy of Science University of Pittsburgh  The Project
Special relativity has changed our understanding of the nature
of space, time, energy and other physical quantities. There is a
very widespread feeling that the advent of special relativity
has somehow changed the way we look at things in a sense that
goes beyond these narrow physical results. What might that sense
be?  The problem in answering is that there is scarcely a
viewpoint or movement in modern philosophical thought that does
not claim support in one way or another from Einstein's
achievement. Clearly they cannot all be right. Quite often
radically opposed viewpoints claim support from Einstein's
achievement. In the end it is up to you to decide, since the
issue remains controversial. You should use your knowledge of
Einstein's theory and the circumstances s