Putnam’s argument aims to prove that future is as real as present. His argument is based on the equation present = real. Is real what exists now. Is real what is part of observer-independent reality. What exists now depends on an observer—it is not real. It is then shown that Special Relativity is not only a physical theory, it has also a philosophical dimension in that it questions our very understanding of reality and requires a clear distinction between reality and its representation.
References
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Dorato, M. (2008). Putnam on Special Relativity: a Long Journey from Ontology to Ethics. European Journal for Analytic Philosophy.
[2]
Maxwell, N. (1985). Are Probabilism and Special Relativity Incompatible? Philosophy of Science, 52, 23-43. https://doi.org/10.1086/289220
[3]
Putnam, H. (1967). Time and Physical Geometry. Journal of Philosophy, 64, 240-247. https://doi.org/10.2307/2024493
[4]
Rietdijk, C. W. (1966). A Rigorous Proof of Determinism Derived from the Special Theory of Relativity. Philosophy of Science, 33, 341-344. https://doi.org/10.1086/288106
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Thyssen, P. (2020). The Block Universe, a Philosophical Investigation in Four Dimensions. PhD Dissertation, KU Leuwen.
