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Article ID: CBB000471127

Unconventional Wisdom: Theory-Specificity in Reichenbach's Geometric Conventionalism (2004)

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics
Volume: 35
Pages: 457--481

DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsb.2004.04.005

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Geometry Verification Epistemology Philosophy of mathematics 20th century, early Reichenbach, Hans

The standard account portrays Hans Reichenbach's argument for geometric conventionalism as based upon general epistemological concerns of verifiability. As such, his version of conventionalism ought to be equally well applicable to all theories that posit a geometric structure to space–time. But when Reichenbach's writings from the period between the publication of Relativitätstheorie und Erkenntnis Apriori and Axiomatik der Raum-Zeit-Lehre, i.e., between 1920 and 1924, are examined, a very different picture emerges. The argument for the conventionality of geometry that appears in these writings is tied to discussions of the theory of general relativity and Reichenbach explicitly argues that geometry in Minkowski space–time is not conventional once the definition of simultaneity is put in place. In light of this, the received interpretation of Reichenbach's position needs to be replaced with a theory-specific picture of geometric conventionalism. This change has interesting consequences for both the standard arguments against Reichenbach's view and for questions in Reichenbach scholarship.

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