Abstract

The General Theory of Relativity (GR) is one of the best tested of modern physical theories, and has proved its superiority over rival theories many times during the past seventy years in the arena of the critical observation; in particular, the binary pulsar observations have recently proved decisive in this context, leaving GR as almost the only credible theory available. See Will¹ for a comprehensive discussion. As a consequence of these circumstances, it is easy to understand why, within the narrow context of purely gravitational phenomena, GR is considered to be securely founded. The only obvious problem facing the theory is the apparent difficulty of reconciling the gravitational force (as understood within the context of GR) with the three other forces of nature, as these are understood within their respective theoretical contexts; as a measure of this difficulty, we can reflect that, although a huge effort has been expended in the attempt to effect such a reconciliation - particularly over the past fifteen or twenty years - it is still not clear that it is possible even in principle. In view of this uncertainty, it would seem prudent to invest a modest effort towards a continued questioning of the theoretical basis of gravitation theory, and this paper is intended to represent such an effort.