Space, Time, and Spacetime by Lawrence Sklar (PDF)

Description

In this book, Lawrence Sklar demonstrates the interdependence of science and philosophy by examining a number of crucial problems on the nature of space and time―problems that require for their resolution the resources of philosophy and of physics.The overall issues explored are our knowledge of the geometry of the world, the existence of spacetime as an entity over and above the material objects of the world, the relation between temporal order and causal order, and the problem of the direction of time. Without neglecting the most subtle philosophical points or the most advanced contributions of contemporary physics, the author has taken pains to make his explorations intelligible to the reader with no advanced training in physics, mathematics, or philosophy. The arguments are set forth step-by-step, beginning from first principles; and the philosophical discussions are supplemented in detail by nontechnical expositions of crucial features of physical theories.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: About the Author Lawrence Sklar is the Carl G. Hempel and William K. Frankena Distinguished University Professor at the University of Michigan.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This book has won philosophical awards, and with good reason- it is a valuable resource for anyone looking to learn about the philosophical issues surrounding space and time. In fact, this is the book that is usually read for classes on the topic. A few of the central topics he discusses are the philosophy of geometry, the reality of space-time, and the arrow of time. Some of these topics do not recieve the coverage a lone book on them would achieve, but this is only to be expected, and Sklar tells the reader this in the introduction.Sklar’s writing is lucid, and he weaves the various topics together very nicely. The style is a little dry, but that is probably as it should be- the book is a serious philosophical work. While the book was not written for the lay reader, there is nothing inherent in the nature of the material that would prevent someone unschooled in philosophy from taking it up.

⭐However monumental the book maybe, if it bores the reader to death, the ideas contained in it just never get conveyed. This is one of the most boring books I have ever read (and I can tell you I’m also a frequent reader books laden with heavy and long-winded mathematical/philosophical concepts). I fail to see why Sklar would prefer to drain every bit of fun out of the book and make it dry like a brittle, dessicated autumn leaf – or perhaps he is just not funny. Plus, it doesn’t make a book more important by sounding important – he could have shed half of the weight of the book by being more concise and direct to the reader rather than being circular and mysterious. There are few keynotes concepts in the book but they are buried under layers of fat, and I’m sure it’s not a reader’s responsibility to have to painstakingly dig out the truths in a book. For a better read, opt for “the Philosophy of Space & Time” by Hans Reichenbach, translated by his wife Maria Reichenbach.

⭐The book is very through and well written on the subject. Highly recommended.

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