A New Taxonomy Beyond Substantivalism and Relationism II: Some Philosophical Prehistory of Quantum Gravity

Abstract

The analysis in the preceding chapter has set the stage for a closer examination of various quantum gravity (QG) hypotheses, background independence, pregeometry, spacetime emergence, and, ultimately, the deficiencies in the substantivalist/relationist dichotomy as it applies to the seventeenth century and QG. After a discussion of how the difference in historical context affects the new taxonomy, §10.1, analogues between seventeenth century spatial ontologies and QG hypotheses will be developed, §10.2, followed by a closer examination of nominalism and virtual-platonism in a QG setting, §10.3, the locality of beables, §10.4, and a concluding summary and evaluation of the new taxonomy and the competing third-way strategies, §10.5.