Berlin 2015 – scientific programme

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GP: Fachverband Geschichte der Physik

GP 9: Freie Sektion II

GP 9.2: Talk

Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 15:30–16:00, HL 001

Einstein's Bergson Problem — •Jimena Canales — Thomas M. Siebel Chair in the History of Science at University of Illinois-UC

One of the main contributions of Einstein's General relativity theory was to extend our knowledge of inertial frames of reference after having tackled non-inertial frames in the Special relativity case. How was this victory achieved? Part of Einstein's work consisted in eliminating Bergson's objections to relativity theory, which were consonant with those of the most important scientists who had worked on the topic: Henri Poincaré, Hendrik Lorentz and Albert A. Michelson. In the early decades of the century, Bergson's fame, prestige and influence surpassed that of the physicist. Once considered as one of the most renowned intellectuals of his era and an authority on the nature of time, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2010) does not even include him under the entry of ``time." How was it possible to write off from history a figure that was once so prominent? Einstein met Bergson for the first time during his trip to Paris on April 6, 1922. The physicist responded to Bergson's comments in less than a minute, including in his answer one damning sentence: ``Il n'y a donc pas un temps des philosophes." This talk explores Einstein's Bergson problem from 1922 to the time of his death.