Preface

Summary

First edition

It has been my aim in this book to revive and defend a theory generally regarded as moribund and defeated. Consequently, I owe most of my intellectual debt to those against whom I try to argue in these pages. Above all, Hans Reichenbach's brilliant Philosophy of Space and Time has been the central work I wished to challenge and my model of philosophical style. My debt to the books and papers of Adolf Grünbaum is hardly less important. I am glad indeed to take this formal opportunity to express both my admiration and my debt to these writers who are subjects of so much criticism in this book. Quite generally, indeed, I acknowledge a real debt to all those philosophers whose work it has seemed important to examine critically in these pages.

This book is the fruit of courses I have given for a number of years in the philosophy departments of the University of Sydney and of Adelaide. Among many students whom it has been an education to teach, I hope it is not invidious to mention Michael Devitt, Larry Dwyer, Clifford Hooker and Ian Hunt as particularly helpful in early stages.

The whole of the typescript was read by Dr Ian Hinckfuss and Professor J.J.C. Smart (my first teacher in philosophy). Their comments and criticism have been invaluable. Various parts of the book have been read and discussed with Robert Farrell, Bas van Fraassen, Henry Krips, Robert Nola, Hugh Montgomery and Wai Suchting. I am grateful to my colleague Dr Peter Szekeres for his patience with many queries I have put to him about General Relativity.