Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T18:16:48.415Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A Philosopher Looks at String Theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2022

Robert Weingard
Robert Weingard*
Affiliation:
Rutgers University
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Before we, as philosophers, take a look at string theory I want to mention that more than one person has suggested to me that it is still too early for philosophical and foundational studies of string theory. Indeed, the suggestion emphasizes, since string theory is still in the process of development, and its physical and mathematical principles are not completely formulated, there is, in a sense, no theory for the philosopher to analyze. And I must admit that I think there is something to this suggestion. In a sense I hope I will make clear, there does not yet exist a precise mathematical formulation for string theory as there is Hilbert space for (elementary) quantum theory, and Riemann spacetime for general relativity. Because these latter formulations exist, we can ask precise questions, and prove precise theorems about their interpretation.

Type
Part IV. Physics
Information
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association , Volume 1988 , Issue 2: Volume Two: Symposia and Invited Papers 1988 , 1988 , pp. 94 - 106
Copyright
Copyright © 1989 by the Philosophy of Science Association

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Georgi, H., and Glashow, S.L. (1972), “Unified Weak and Electromagnetic Interactions without Neutral Currents”, Physical Review Letters 28: 1494–1497.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Green, M.B. and Schwartz, J.H. (1984), “Superstring Field Theory”, Nuclear Physics B 243: 475–536.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Horowitz, G.T., Lykken, J., Rohm, R., and Strominger, A. (1986), “A Purely Cubic Action for String Field Theory”, NSF-ITP-86-61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Redhead, M.L.G. (1983), “Quantum Field Theory for Philosophers”, in PSA 1982 vol.2, Asquith, P.D. and Giere, R.N.(eds.). East Lansing: Philosophy of Science Association, pp. 57–99.Google Scholar
Weingard, R. (1984), “Grand Unified Gauge Theories and the Number of Elementary Particles”, Philosophy of Science 51: 150–155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Witten, E. (1986), “Non-Commutative Geometry and String Field Theory”, Nuclear Physics B 268: 253–294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar