Research Of Contemporary Spacetime Realism

Spacetime realism is one of two major branches of the philosophy of physics, and it is also an important theoretical foundation of the philosophy of science. Ten years ago, many philosophers called this research area as a "battlefield" because it was full of the debates about whether the essence of spacetime was "a substance" or "a kind of relation". But after the 21st century, there wasn't clouds of smoke float in this battlefield any more, and the majority of spacetime realists unanimously turned to find a reasonable understanding of spacetime. The thesis attempts to propose a reasonable strategy of spacetime realism:contextual spacetime realism.The thesis includes Introduction, Eight chapters of systematic elaboration, Concluding remark and Appendix.The first chapter, the general survey of the spacetime realism:the theoretical foundations and forms. As the foundation of this thesis, this chapter introduces the philosophical basis of spacetime realism, the physics foundation as well as the basic forms of contemporary spacetime realism, which helps to comprehending the logical clue in the thesis systematically.The second chapter, the basis of the rational analysis of the space-time realism:the construction of spacetime semantic model. This chapter systematically introduces the construction of the spacetime semantic model and its methodological significance in the development of spacetime realism:on the basis of the spacetime semantic model, the contemporary methodology of spacetime realism has realized the turn to semantic analysis, with which it has been inevitably related with the methodology of contemporary scientific realism and has surmounted the speculation of spacetime by Newton and Leibniz.The third chapter, the application of spacetime realism semantic analysis:"hole argument" and its significance. This chapter systematically introduces the application of spacetime semantic model in the solution of the "hole argument". It distinctively manifests the key methodology in contemporary spacetime realism, and demonstrates the rational connotation of spacetime realism. It is pointed out that the research of the "hole argument" has reflected the result of the profound consideration of the spacetime of general relativity by philosophers from the perspective of scientific reason. But as the argument between the substantivalism and the relationalism is in essence a metaphysics question, it cannot be verified or disproved, we cannot reach the ultimate state of spacetime realism.The fourth chapter, the highlight of pragmatics dependence in spacetime realism: quantum gravity and the intention in its metaphysical presupposition. This chapter introduces the impact of the quantum gravity to spacetime realism because of spacetime quantization and the spacetime background choice, points out that the physicists' comprehension of the spacetime of general relativity has been integrated into the metaphysics presupposition of quantum gravity, and demonstrates the physicists'intention in the theoretical construction. The strategy of spacetime realism cannot be succeed if the pragmatic factor is ignored.The fifth chapter, the ontological countermarch strategy of spacetime realism: structural spacetime realism. This chapter introduces a strategy which can overcome the suspension between substantivalism and relationalism. It is pointed out that the ontological countermarch strategy of spacetime structural realism has very important methodological value, but it is doomed to be unable to surmount the gap between metaphysics and the epistemology. It has its own difficulty and cannot settle the intentional factor in the theory reasonably.The sixth chapter, The integrative comprehension of spacetime reality:the contextual analysis of spacetime theory. From a holistic perspective, this chapter analyzes the syntax, semantic and the pragmatic factors in the development of spacetime theory. It reveals how spacetime enters into a physical theory as a metaphysical supposition and how our understanding of spacetime changes in the development of the theory. It is the premise and the foundation for us to propose the contextual spacetime realism strategy.The seventh chapter, a new strategy of spacetime realism:contextual spacetime realism. This chapter puts forwards a contextual spacetime realism on the basis of the analyzing of spacetime substantivalism, relationalism and the structural spacetime realism. Contextual spacetime realism follows the principle of the ontological countermarch. In contextual spacetime realism, spacetime is an contextualized object and is represented by the formal system of the theory. We insist semantical criteria in judging the spacetime reality, attend to the intentional effects in the understanding of spacetime and the focus on the progressiveness of the understanding of spacetime in the development of the physical theory. This strategy surpass the seeking to metaphysics and is consistent with the scientific theories'the aim of explaining the essence of the world.The eighth chapter, the applied case of contextual spacetime realism:the solution of underdetermination thesis. This chapter is a case study, it applies the contextual spacetime realism to deal with underdetermination thesis in spacetime theory, demonstrating the methodological superiority of the strategy and providing a powerful support to defend the contemporary scientific realism.Concluding remarks, spacetime realism and the defense of contemporary scientific realism.Appendix:the amalgamative trend of the debate spacetime ontology:an interview of the British philosopher Jeremy Butterfield.