Date: 2010-06-19 Time: 07:00 - 09:00 US/Pacific (1 decade 4 years ago)
America/Los Angeles: 2010-06-19 07:00 (DST)
America/New York: 2010-06-19 10:00 (DST)
America/Sao Paulo: 2010-06-19 11:00
Europe/London: 2010-06-19 14:00
Asia/Colombo: 2010-06-19 19:30
Australia/Sydney: 2010-06-20 01:00 (DST)
Where: Online Video Conference
Recording PlaybackThis video conference used DimDim, now a private company.
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Description
Objective: Using the example of time and relativity as the primary subject, it is demonstrated how metaphysical ideas influence our conceptions of physical reality and why a sound approach to natural philosophy is needed to prevent mistaken concepts from becoming scientific dogma.
The problems that arise from allowing metaphysical ideas into scientific concepts are discussed based upon the problem of time in special relativity. The multiple time conception of Einstein's relativity is discussed from historical and analytical perspectives. The advantages of a physical conception of time versus a philosophical conception of time are discussed with the objective of showing that relativity invokes a philosophical conception of time versus a physical one through the ad hoc hypothesis that time can be changed due to high velocity motion. The use of an absolute physical conception of time such as UTC removes the difficulties encountered by the introduction of the ad hoc relativistic theory of time that has its origin in a philosophical confusion regarding time. It is shown that the hypothesis of the existence of multiple times in special relativity is an unnecessary and ultimately contradictory conception of time, that can not be a physically valid conception. Hence, the metaphysical assumptions that are invoked to justify the philosophical conception of time in relativity, that is that time is not an absolute conception, produce an erroneous idea of time in mainstream physical science.
Viewed philosophically, physical conceptions arise from definitions that make an abstract physical idea into a physical reality. Mainstream science makes the claim that empirical tests prevent metaphysical errors regarding these conceptions of reality from becoming scientifically accepted physical realities. This procedure is evidently not infallible, as in the case of relativity, the abstract philosophical conceptions of time, space, and motion that derive from a particular set of hidden metaphysical presuppositions have become scientific dogma although they are based upon a faulty analysis of the concepts involved that can not survive the test of a rigorous philosophical examination.
