Title

Being, Becoming and the Undivided Universe: A Dialogue Between Relational Blockworld and the Implicate Order Concerning the Unification of Relativity and Quantum Theory

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Foundations of Physics

Publication Date

4-1-2013

Abstract

In this paper two different approaches to unification will be compared, Relational Blockworld (RBW) and Hiley's implicate order. Both approaches are monistic in that they attempt to derive matter and spacetime geometry 'at once' in an interdependent and background independent fashion from something underneath both quantum theory and relativity. Hiley's monism resides in the implicate order via Clifford algebras and is based on process as fundamental while RBW's monism resides in spacetimematter via path integrals over graphs whereby space, time and matter are co-constructed per a global constraint equation. RBW's monism therefore resides in being (relational blockworld) while that of Hiley's resides in becoming (elementary processes). Regarding the derivation of quantum theory and relativity, the promises and pitfalls of both approaches will be elaborated. Finally, special attention will be paid as to how Hiley's process account might avoid the blockworld implications of relativity and the frozen time problem of canonical quantum gravity. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Volume

43

Issue

4

First Page

502

Last Page

532

DOI

10.1007/s10701-012-9653-9

ISSN

00159018

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