The Shape of Space

Second (revised) edition of classic book in philosophy of space, for graduate and scholarly use.

Graham Nerlich (Author)

9780521456456, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 4 August 1994

308 pages
22.7 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.441 kg

'A fresh - and much needed - realistic perspective to the philosophy of space.' Philosophia

This is a revised and updated edition of Graham Nerlich's classic book The Shape of Space. It develops a metaphysical account of space which treats it as a real and concrete entity. In particular, it shows that the shape of space plays a key explanatory role in space and spacetime theories. Arguing that geometrical explanation is very like causal explanation, Professor Nerlich prepares the ground for philosophical argument, and, using a number of novel examples, investigates how different spaces would affect perception differently. This leads naturally to conventionalism as a non-realist metaphysics of space, an account which Professor Nerlich criticises, rejecting its Kantian and positivistic roots along with Reichenbach's famous claim that even the topology of space is conventional. He concludes that there is, in fact, no problem of underdetermination for this aspect of spacetime theories, and offers an extensive discussion of the relativity of motion.

Introduction
1. Space and spatial relations
2. Hands, knees and absolute space
3. Euclidean and other shapes
4. Geometrical structures in space and spacetime
5. Shapes and the imagination
6. The aims of conventionalism
7. Against conventionalism
8. Reichenbach's treatment of topology
9. Measuring space: fact or convention?
10. The relativity of motion
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Philosophy of science [PDA], Social & political philosophy [HPS]