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The concept of mass is one of the most fundamental notions in
physics, comparable in importance only to those of space and time.
But in contrast to the latter, which are the subject of innumerable
physical and philosophical studies, the concept of mass has been
but rarely investigated. Here Max Jammer, a leading philosopher and
historian of physics, provides a concise but comprehensive,
coherent, and self-contained study of the concept of mass as it is
defined, interpreted, and applied in contemporary physics and as it
is critically examined in the modern philosophy of science. With
its focus on theories proposed after the mid-1950s, the book is the
first of its kind, covering the most recent experimental and
theoretical investigations into the nature of mass and its role in
modern physics, from the realm of elementary particles to the
cosmology of galaxies.
The book begins with an analysis of the persistent difficulties
of defining inertial mass in a noncircular manner and discusses the
related question of whether mass is an observational or a
theoretical concept. It then studies the notion of mass in special
relativity and the delicate problem of whether the relativistic
rest mass is the only legitimate notion of mass and whether it is
identical with the classical (Newtonian) mass. This is followed by
a critical analysis of the different derivations of the famous
mass-energy relationship E = mc2 and its conflicting
interpretations. Jammer then devotes a chapter to the distinction
between inertial and gravitational mass and to the various versions
of the so-called equivalence principle with which Newton initiated
his Principia but which also became the starting point of
Einstein's general relativity, which supersedes Newtonian physics.
The book concludes with a presentation of recently proposed global
and local dynamical theories of the origin and nature of mass.
Destined to become a much-consulted reference for philosophers
and physicists, this book is also written for the nonprofessional
general reader interested in the foundations of physics.
The philosophy of religion and the quest for spiritual truth
preoccupied Albert Einstein--so much that it has been said "one
might suspect he was a disguised theologian." Nevertheless, the
literature on the life and work of Einstein, extensive as it is,
does not provide an adequate account of his religious conception
and sentiments. Only fragmentarily known, Einstein's ideas about
religion have been often distorted both by atheists and by
religious groups eager to claim him as one of their own. But what
exactly was Einstein's religious credo? In this fascinating book,
the distinguished physicist and philosopher Max Jammer offers an
unbiased and well-documented answer to this question.
The book begins with a discussion of Einstein's childhood
religious education and the religious atmosphere--or its
absence--among his family and friends. It then reconstructs, step
by step, the intellectual development that led Einstein to the
conceptions of a cosmic religion and an impersonal God, akin to
"the God of Spinoza." Jammer explores Einstein's writings and
lectures on religion and its role in society, and how far they have
been accepted by the general public and by professional theologians
like Paul Tillich or Frederick Ferre. He also analyzes the precise
meaning of Einstein's famous dictum "Science without religion is
lame, religion without science is blind," and why this statement
can serve as an epitome of Einstein's philosophy of religion.
The last chapter deals with the controversial question of
whether Einstein's scientific work, and in particular his theory of
relativity, has theologically significant implications, a problem
important for those who are interested in the relation between
science and religion. Both thought-provoking and engaging, this
book aims to introduce readers, without proselytizing, to
Einstein's religion."
Max Jammer's Concepts of Simultaneity presents a comprehensive,
accessible account of the historical development of an important
and controversial concept -- which played a critical role in
initiating modern theoretical physics -- from the days of Egyptian
hieroglyphs through to Einstein's work in 1905, and beyond.
Beginning with the use of the concept of simultaneity in ancient
Egypt and in the Bible, the study discusses its role in Greek and
medieval philosophy as well as its significance in Newtonian
physics and in the ideas of Leibniz, Kant, and other classical
philosophers. The central theme of Jammer's presentation is a
critical analysis of the use of this concept by philosophers of
science, like PoincarA(c), and its significant role in inaugurating
modern theoretical physics in Einstein's special theory of
relativity. Particular attention is paid to the philosophical
problem of whether the notion of distant simultaneity presents a
factual reality or only a hypothetical convention. The study
concludes with an analysis of simultaneity's importance in general
relativity and quantum mechanics.
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