The dissertation investigates some relevant metaphysical issues arising in the context of spacetime theories. In particular, the inquiry focuses on general relativity and canonical quantum gravity. A formal definition of spacetime theory is proposed and, against this framework, an analysis of the notions of general covariance, symmetry and background independence is performed. It is argued that many conceptual issues in general relativity and canonical quantum gravity derive from putting excessive emphasis on general covariance as an ontological prin-ciple. An original metaphysical position grounded in scientific essential- ism and causal realism (weak essentialism) is developed and defended. It is argued that, in the context of general relativity, weak essentialism supports spacetime substantivalism. It is also shown that weak essentialism escapes arguments from metaphysical underdetermination by positing a particular kind of causation, dubbed geometric. The proposed interpretive framework is then applied to Bohmian mechanics, pointing out that weak essentialism nicely fits into this theory. In the end, a possible Bohmian implementation of loop quantum gravity is considered, and such a Bohmian approach is interpreted in a geometric causal fashion. Under this interpretation, Bohmian loop quantum gravity straightforwardly commits us to an ontology of elementary extensions of space whose evolution is described by a non-local law. The causal mechanism underlying this evolution clarifies many conceptual issues related to the emergence of classical spacetime from the quantum regime. Although there is as yet no fully worked out physical theory of quantum gravity, it is argued that the proposed approach sets up a standard that proposals for a serious ontology in this field should meet.
This paper introduces the Theory of Emergent Metric Tension in Causality (TEMTC), grounded in the foundational registers of Meta-Para-Ontology, as an ontological framework for understanding the conceptual divide between quantum mechanics and general relativity. Rather than attempting a technical unification of the two theories, the approach reconsiders the ontological assumptions underlying them. It is argued that spacetime structure, gravitational dynamics, and the phenomena collectively described as quantum behavior should not be treated as fundamental features of reality, but as emergent expressions of a deeper level of causal organization. Within this framework, causality is conceived as a structured field of relational constraints whose internal tensions become observable as phenomena. Spacetime geometry expresses the stabilization of these causal relations, and gravity reflects variations in their density and organization. Space and time arise at the level of manifestation as relational forms through which causal organization becomes accessible to experience and observation. By situating both quantum mechanics and general relativity within a common ontological context, TEMTC provides a conceptual basis for understanding their incompatibility while preserving the integrity of each theory and requiring no additional physical postulates.
For all our familiarity with mental processes, their nature remains elusive, and the lessons offered so far by artificial intelligence seem at best incomplete. This reaffirms the need for a conceptually different approach. Recent developments in quantum mechanics, involving nothing larger (or smaller) than tabletop setups, shed light on the issue by showing that events do not always follow a fixed causal order, and that processes exist that are causally non-separable. While experiments have so far preceded theory, fueling debate about the physical interpretation of key results, this mirrors an earlier controversy where results at odds with prevailing paradigms were subsequently vindicated, giving rise to a quantum formalism that is now canonical. In this instance, validation would yield a precise definition of causal agency as an intent-bearing process, the behavior of which is nonrandom, not determined by preceding events, and not derivable from sequential events within the process itself. By focusing on causality rather than on freedom and its interpretive pitfalls, this definition allows to make headway in an old metaphysical discussion.