Speakers
Description
The idea that spacetime is not fundamental comes in several versions, depending on which aspects of space, time, or spacetime are called into question. Philosophically, such views can be framed as elimination, reduction, or derivativism — each offering a different metaphysical picture of how the world is structured. But what are the broader implications for physics, and for philosophy? A sceptic might dismiss them as technical details with little wider significance. An optimist might argue they carry far-reaching consequences. We will argue that spacetime emergence can indeed bear on several central areas of philosophy, including theories of consciousness, the philosophy of mathematics, accounts of causation, and conceptions of laws of nature. We will also suggest that it can significantly change how we view physics, both at the level of epistemology and methodology, but most importantly at the level of the overall metaphysical and ontological worldview that underlies physical theories. We will conclude cautiously: spacetime emergence does not automatically revolutionise philosophy, but in certain approaches it could genuinely reshape our understanding of fundamental questions across these domains.
