How to Be a Relationalist
Shamik Dasgupta
Relationalism in metaphysics leads to indeterminism and non-locality in physics. This is widely thought to be a problem for relationalism, but here I argue that it is in fact a?virtue. More specifically, I distinguish two senses in which a physical theory can be indeterministic and non-local. Relationalism does imply indeterminism and non-locality in one sense, but this is a virtue since indeterminism and non-locality in this sense is precisely what empirical observation confirms. There is a second sense of the terms on which indeterminism and non-locality would be a problem, but I argue that relationalism does not imply indeterminism or non-locality in that sense. With respect to indeterminism and non-locality, then, relationalism gets things exactly right. This defense of relationalism rests on distinguishing these two senses of indeterminism and non-locality. Since both terms are intimately connected to metaphysical possibility, this requires distinguishing two species of the latter. The distinction between two senses of metaphysical possibility I offer may be of interest to metaphysicians regardless of its bearing on relationalism, determinism, and locality.
Oxford University Press eBooks•Dec 21, 2020•8 citations