Philosophy of space and time

Course goals

By the end of this course students should be able to express, compare and contrast the various positions in the debates about space and time in physics, critically assess papers on these subjects, and present their own well-argued views both in oral presentations and in writing.

Content

This course explores the conceptual foundations of our three main theories of space and time: Newtonian mechanics, special relativity and general relativity, including discussion of related concepts such as dynamical symmetries. We shall also make contact to issues in the philosophy of time, such as the flow and experience of time and the block universe. The course is suitable for students both with and without background in physics or mathematics, although an affinity with physics is helpful.