Berlin 2012 – scientific programme

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AGPhil: Arbeitsgruppe Philosophie der Physik

AGPhil 4: Spacetime Thoeries

AGPhil 4.2: Talk

Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 10:00–10:30, H 2033

On how to gain Insights into the Dimensionality of Space and Time — •Radin Dardashti — London School of Economics, London, UK

The dimensionality of space is seemingly such a fundamental aspect of our everyday life that doubting its tri-dimensionality may seem strange and arguing for it seems to be a trivial issue. Many arguments, mainly introduced by physicists, go even further and state that their argument offers an explanation of the dimensionality. This is, we believe, not at all a trivial issue.

But rather than dealing in detail with the proposed arguments, a more general approach has been chosen. First, we restrict ourselves to mathematics and physics from which we hope to gain insights about the dimensionality. Second, possible methodological approaches to the question are developed and analyzed by considering examples ranging from the mathematical theory of Clifford Algebras to the physical theory of Superstrings. This is followed by a philosophical discussion of the argument structures that follow from these approaches. Finally, we discuss in what sense the arguments could be considered to be explanatory arguments.