On the Consistency between the Assumption of a Special System of Reference and Special Relativity

Foundations of Physics 36 (12):1826-1845 (2006)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

In a previous work, we have shown that the null result of the Michelson–Morley experiment in vacuum is deeply connected with the notion of time. The same is true for the postulate of constancy of the two-way speed of light in vacuum in all frames independently of the state of motion of the emitting body. The argumentation formerly given is very general and has to be true not only within Special Relativity and its “equivalence” of all inertial frames, but as well as in Lorentz-Poincaré scenario of a preferred reference frame. This paper is the second of a trilogy intending to revisit the foundations of Special Relativity, and addresses the question of the constancy of the one-way speed of light and of the differences and similarities between both scenarios. Although they manifestly differ in philosophy, it is debated why and how the assumption of a “special system of reference experimentally inaccessible” is indeed compatible with Einstein’s Special Relativity, as beautifully outlined and discussed by Bell [Speakable and Unspeakable in Quantum Mechanics (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1988)]. This rather trivial statement is still astonishing nowadays to a big majority of scientists. The purpose of this work is to bring such assertion into perspective, widening the somewhat narrow view of Special Relativity often presented in textbooks and scientific papers

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,221

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Conventionalism in special relativity.Peter Mittelstaedt - 1977 - Foundations of Physics 7 (7-8):573-583.
Are probabilism and special relativity compatible?Nicholas Maxwell - 1988 - Philosophy of Science 55 (4):640-645.
Geometry and special relativity.Geoffrey Joseph - 1979 - Philosophy of Science 46 (3):425-438.
On the Foundation of the Principle of Relativity.Øyvind Grøn & Kjell Vøyenli - 1999 - Foundations of Physics 29 (11):1695-1733.
On the role of special relativity in general relativity.Harvey R. Brown - 1997 - International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 11 (1):67 – 81.
Spatial Directions, Anisotropy and Special Relativity.Marco Mamone Capria - 2011 - Foundations of Physics 41 (8):1375-1397.
On the homogeneity of space and time in special relativity.José A. Ferrari - 1991 - Journal for General Philosophy of Science / Zeitschrift für Allgemeine Wissenschaftstheorie 22 (1):169-171.

Analytics

Added to PP
2013-11-22

Downloads
68 (#216,294)

6 months
3 (#439,386)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

Noninvariant one-way velocity of light.F. Selleri - 1996 - Foundations of Physics 26 (5):641-664.

Add more references