Foundations of Space-Time Theories: Relativistic Physics and Philosophy of Science [Paperback]

Michael Friedman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

An excellent introduction to the philosophies of space and time. "Foundations of Space-Time Theories is the result of the author's intellectual struggle to clarify the foundations of relativity theory for himself, and it will deeply influence all future thinking about the philosophy of space and time.

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (October 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691020396
• ISBN-13: 978-0691020396
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #227,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comfort food for the scientific scrounger, May 26, 2001

By 

Rilke's Granddaughter (Yap) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Foundations of Space-Time Theories: Relativistic Physics and Philosophy of Science (Paperback)

The complexity of the mathematics of General Relativity produce an unfortunate side-effect: however satisfying they are from an aesthetic viewpoint, dealing with their rigour obscures the philosophical basis of their development.

Friedman does an admirable job of investigating the currents of early twentieth century thought that led Einstein down the particular road he chose, via a number of useful visualizations made by clear and surprisingly elegant prose and clean math, without dumbing down the science involved in the name of science 'popularization.'

In short, Friedman does an excellent job of presenting the 'why' of relativity, rather than just the 'how'.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece, March 17, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Foundations of space-time theories: Relativistic physics and philosophy of science (Hardcover)

It isn't often that one comes across books of this calibre: Friedman has put together nothing short of a masterpiece. His depth and clarity of exposition are laudable, and so are his findings.

In an impressive effort, Friedman has found his way through the intricate and tangled maze--or mess--that spacetime physics and philosophy has become. The most important revelation to be learnt is in what sense theoretical spacetime remains an absolute and literal reality despite its unobservability: on the one hand, general relativity did not achieve a relativization of all motion (or Mach's programme), and in it acceleration remains an absolute concept; on the other, spacetime can be granted physical reality (rather than it being a mere mathematical representation) due to its theoretical unifying power.

Friedman's book exceeded my already high expectations. In a time in which lousy scientific writing has become commonplace, it is an utmost pleasure to stumble upon a book such as this one. To put it in a nutshell, this book is enlightening in an extraordinary way. Superb!