Nicolas d'Autrécourt (c. 1298-1369) is one of the most daring thinkers in the history of philosophy, and Zénon Kaluza, who has devoted to him nearly thirty years of study, presents him to us through his sources, his doctrines and his manuscripts. The reader will find studies on some of the most relevant philosophical doctrines (such as perception, the final causality, the categories and the eternity of the world) as well as a new edition of the Prologues of the Exigit ordo, (...) enriched with a running commentary. The texts gathered here-some of which have been published previously but are difficult to access and others which have been unpublished until now-reveal a philosopher who wished to free philosophy from institutional constraints and dared to criticize Aristotle's metaphysics, at the risk of upsetting traditions and contradicting the dogmas of the faith, and who was condemned by the theological authorities of his time. Nicolas d'Autrécourt (c. 1298-1369) est l'un des penseurs les plus audacieux de l'histoire de la philosophie, et Zénon Kaluza, qui lui a consacré près de trente ans d'études, nous le fait découvrir par ses sources, ses doctrines et ses manuscrits. Ce livre propose notamment des analyses sur des thèmes importants (tels que la perception, la causalité finale, les catégories ou l'éternité du monde) ainsi qu'une nouvelle édition des Prologues de l'Exigit ordo, enrichie d'un commentaire suivi. Les études-dont certaines sont parues mais difficiles d'accès et d'autres sont inédites-dévoilent la figure d'un philosophe désirant de libérer la philosophie des contraintes institutionnelles et de critiquer la métaphysique d'Aristote, au risque de bouleverser les traditions, de contredire les dogmes de la foi et se voir condamner par les autorités théologiques de son temps. (shrink)

This article discusses the topic of algorithmic personalization and the creation of the so-called “filter bubble” effect, which is often understood as one of the most problematic influences of artificial intelligence on democratic social order. The author suggests that focusing on the issue of information diversity, which had far-reaching effect on the empirical research that tried to quantitatively measure and systematically prove the existence of the filter bubbles, was the wrong starting point for the discussion on the application of algorithmic (...) personalization. It has drawn our attention away from the deeper issue: habit. Habitual adaptation of algorithmic personalization, namely, stands in essential contradiction to the ideal image of a non-adaptive public sphere, upon which democratic societies should be based. Focusing on habitual adaptation could also explain why users addictively stick to certain kinds of information, even if they are not caught in an isolated chamber. (shrink)

This paper explores the program of theology of science proposed by renowned Polish physicist and philosopher, Michael Heller, with a particular focus on its ontological dimensions through the lens of Trinitarian theology. Firstly, an overview of the status and current discussions of theology of science is presented. Next, drawing on Heller's key texts the Trinitarian doctrine is used to enhance the intelligibility of the Universe, wherein the dynamic interplay of unity, diversity, and relationality is mirrored in the structure of physical (...) reality itself. Most importantly, however, we examine how Heller's theological perspective thus equipped provides justification for the specificity of the method of science itself, thereby revealing new dimensions of relations between science and theology. Through critical engagement with Heller's thought, this paper seeks ultimately to illuminate the profound implications of a Trinitarian perspective in his theology of science, shedding light on the interconnectedness of Christian doctrine and ontology in shaping our understanding of the universe and its underlying structure. (shrink)

In this article, we argue that Deleuze's philosophy could be understood as anarchistic in a specifically defined meaning. The imperative of immanence of thought, which we explicate mainly through the reading of Deleuze's Spinoza, on the one hand establishes indivisibility between theory and practice and on the other hand paradoxically orders disobedience. We argue for a thought that is immanent, adequate with its inner practice, for thought that cannot be forced. That is the basis on which we combine the reading (...) of Deleuze, Spinoza, Nietzsche and some basic ideas from the contemporary anarchistic movement and the anarchistic tradition. We do not try to argue for a certain form of political action. Our goal is to establish a field of thought, that is by its innermost ontological principles anarchistic: practice must be accompanied by its own theory. Adequate thought cannot be forced. This is a necessary condition for each consistent practice-theory. (shrink)

The article presents the concept of evil, as developed in the literary as well as philosophical works of Albert Camus. After a short, preliminary notice on the relationship between literature and evil, the article presents two spheres, in which the problem of evil was grasped by the author of The Rebel. In the main part of the article, the complexity of the problem of evil, as represented by Jean-Baptiste Clamence from The Fall is shown. It is seen as a development (...) of the concept of evil from The Plague, with the potency to disseminate onto others. It is also perceived, as something resulting from severe trauma of the main character. In conclusion, I claim, that the problem of evil, as experienced by Clamence may be understood as a still relevant metaphor of contemporary culture, struggling with passivity against the rise of social evil. (shrink)

Certains penseurs médiévaux jugeaient la philosophie incapable de juger et d'interpréter la parole révélée donc supérieure. Pour d'autres, elle gardait son prestige antique et pouvait les mener à la perfection et à la félicité. Ces contributions étudient non pas la philosophie du Moyen âge dans son ensemble, ce qui n'est pas possible, mais des personnalités particulières, dont des théologiens.

Coming Back to the Absurd is a celebration of the enduring significance and impact of Albert Camus's first philosophical essay The Myth of Sisyphus. This collection of essays, from some of the world's leading Camus scholars, examines Camus's unique contribution to philosophy through The Myth since its publication.

It is shown that relativistic spacetimes can be viewed as Finslerian spaces endowed with a positive definite distance (ω0, mod ωi) rather than as pariah, pseudo-Riemannian spaces. Since the pursuit of better implementations of “Euclidicity in the small” advocates absolute parallelism, teleparallel nonlinear Euclidean (i.e., Finslerian) connections are scrutinized. The fact that (ωμ, ω0 i) is the set of horizontal fundamental 1-forms in the Finslerian fibration implies that it can be used in principle for obtainingcompatible new structures. If the connection (...) is teleparallel, a Kaluza-Klein space (KKS) indeed emerges from (ωμ, ω0 i), endowed ab initio with intertwined tangent and cotangent Clifford algebras. A deeper level of Kähler calculus, i.e., the language of Dirac equations, thus emerges. This makes the existance of an intimate relationship between classical differential geometry and quantum theory become ever more plausible. The issue of a geometric canonical Dirac equation is also raised. (shrink)

f gravity is examined in the context of a five-dimensional Kaluza-Klein theory with degenerate metric. In this theory electromagnetism is described by two vector fields, and there is a reflection symmetry between them which unifies them with gravitation. For matter, it is shown how the Lagrangian may be any function and still generate the same equations of motion, provided that some simple conditions are satisfied. The field equations are derived, and it is found that f gravity is not consistent with (...) the reflection symmetry. (shrink)

Pauli's five-dimensional Dirac equation in projective space, which results in an anomalous magnetic moment term in four dimensions, is related to the Schuster-Blackett law of the magnetic field of rotating bodies and to the recent results on the gyromagnetic ratio in Kaluza-Klein theories.

This paper addresses a central question of contemporary theoretical physics: Can a unified account be provided for the known forces of nature? The issue is brought into focus by considering the recently revived Kaluza-Klein approach to unification, a program entailing dimensional transformation through cosmogony. First it is demonstrated that, in a certain sense, revitalized Kaluza-Klein theory appears to undermine the intuitive foundations of mathematical physics, but that this implicit consequence has been repressed at a substantial cost. A fundamental reformulation of (...) the Kaluza-Klein strategy is then undertaken, one that casts it within a new intuitive context. This is followed by a provisional application of the suggested approach to the specific problem of cosmic evolution. The paper concludes by exploring the far-reaching epistemological implications of the "neo-intuitive" proposal set forth. (shrink)

In his search for a unified field theory that could undercut quantum mechanics, Einstein considered five-dimensional classical Kaluza-Klein theory. He studied this theory most intensively during the years 1938-1943. One of his primary objectives was finding a non-singular particle solution. In the full theory this search got frustrated, and in the x 5 -independent theory Einstein, together with Pauli, argued it would be impossible to find these structures.

In this chapter I discuss the attempts by Theodor Kaluza [Kaluza, T., 1921. Zum Unitätproblem der Physik. Sitzungsber. der K. Ak. der Wiss. zu Berlin, 966–972] and by Oskar Klein [Klein, O., 1926a. Quantentheorie und fünfdimensionale Relativitätstheorie. Zeitschrift für Physik 37 (12), 895–906; Klein, O., 1926b. The atomicity of electricity as a quantum theory law. Nature 118, 516], respectively, to unify electromagnetism and general relativity within a five-dimensional Riemannian manifold. I critically compare Kaluza's results to Klein's. Klein's theory possesses more (...) explanatory power and unificatory strength and uses less types of brute facts than Kaluza's. The characteristic feature of Klein's theory is that it relies on an extrinsic element of unification, i.e. the wavefunction behavior, which is not intrinsic to EM or GR. Finally, I compare and discuss Kaluza's and Klein's theories in the context of Tim Maudlin's [Maudlin, T., 1996. On the unification of physics. Journal of Philosophy 93 (3), 129–144] ranking of unification and I clarify in what sense they constitute counterexamples to some of Margaret Morrison's [Morrison, M., 2000. Unifying Scientific Theories: Physical Concepts and Mathematical Structures. Cambridge University Press] assertions about unification. (shrink)

It has been shown that the orbits of motion for a wide class of non-relativistic Hamiltonian systems can be described as geodesic flows on a manifold and an associated dual by means of a conformal map. This method can be applied to a four dimensional manifold of orbits in spacetime associated with a relativistic system. We show that a relativistic Hamiltonian which generates Einstein geodesics, with the addition of a world scalar field, can be put into correspondence in this way (...) with another Hamiltonian with conformally modified metric. Such a construction could account for part of the requirements of Bekenstein for achieving the MOND theory of Milgrom in the post-Newtonian limit. The constraints on the MOND theory imposed by the galactic rotation curves, through this correspondence, would then imply constraints on the structure of the world scalar field. We then use the fact that a Hamiltonian with vector gauge fields results, through such a conformal map, in a Kaluza-Klein type theory, and indicate how the TeVeS structure of Bekenstein and Saunders can be put into this framework. We exhibit a class of infinitesimal gauge transformations on the gauge fields ${\mathcal{U}}_{\mu}(x)$ which preserve the Bekenstein-Sanders condition ${\mathcal{U}}_{\mu}{\mathcal{U}}^{\mu}=-1$ . The underlying quantum structure giving rise to these gauge fields is a Hilbert bundle, and the gauge transformations induce a non-commutative behavior to the fields, i.e. they become of Yang-Mills type. Working in the infinitesimal gauge neighborhood of the initial Abelian theory we show that in the Abelian limit the Yang-Mills field equations provide residual nonlinear terms which may avoid the caustic singularity found by Contaldi et al. (shrink)

I examine the relation between explanation and unification in both the original Kaluza–Klein theory, which originated in the works of Theodor Kaluza and Oskar Klein in the 1920s, and in the modern Kaluza–Klein theories which date back to the late 1970s and which are still considered by the majority of the physics community to be the best hope for a complete unified theory of all fundamental interactions. I use the conclusions of this case study to assess the merits of Philip (...) Kitcher's account of explanation as unification. I also draw lessons about physicists’ pursuit of the higher dimensional unification of the fundamental forces of nature. (shrink)

Topology change is discussed as a barrier penetration process and illustrated by explicit calculations in Witten's Kaluza-Klein bubble geometry. Initial values are given for other bubble geometries, including ones with negative total mass.

We relate personal encounters of three kinds with geometrical approaches in the development of a relativistic quantum field theory of the fundamental interactions—including interactions with Nathan Rosen. We characterize the geometrical structures involved and discuss the more recent attempts to develop a unified theory based on a Klein-Kaluza contraction of the eightfold extended supergravity.

After the unexpected death of Professor Józef Kałuża at the age of 74 on the 26th of July 2003, not only Polish neuropathology but also Polish philosophy of medical investigations lost one of its most renowned minds. Beginning in 1949, Professor Kałuża studied medical sciences for five years at the Medical Faculty of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow. He did his Ph.D. thesis in neuropathology in the Department of Neuropathology of the Polish Academy of Science. In 1962 he (...) received a Rockefeller Foundation scholarship and spent one year at the National Institutes of Health. In 1981 Professor Kaluza was promoted to a tenured professorship in neuropathology. He is the author of more than 110 articles published in medical periodicals and coauthor of many chapters in medical handbooks. (shrink)

We investigate a theory in which fundamental objects are branes described in terms of higher grade coordinates $X^{\mu{_1}\ldots \mu{_n}}$ encoding both the motion of a brane as a whole, and its volume evolution. We thus formulate a dynamics which generalizes the dynamics of the usual branes. Geometrically, coordinates $X^{\mu{_1} \ldots \mu{_n}}$ and associated coordinate frame fields { ${\gamma_{\mu{_1}\ldots\mu{_n}}}$ } extend the notion of geometry from spacetime to that of an enlarged space, called Clifford space or C-space. If we start from (...) four-dimensional spacetime, then the dimension of C-space is 16. The fact that C-space has more than four dimensions suggests that it could serve as a realization of Kaluza-Klein idea. The “extra dimensions” are not just the ordinary extra dimensions, they are related to the volume degrees of freedom, therefore they are physical, and need not be compactified. Gauge fields are due to the metric of Clifford space. It turns out that amongst the latter gauge fields there also exist higher grade, antisymmetric fields of the Kalb–Ramond type, and their non-Abelian generalization. All those fields are naturally coupled to the generalized branes, whose dynamics is given by a generalized Howe–Tucker action in curved C-space. (shrink)

Steven Rosen has written a fascinating book which brings together and updates essays he has published over the past twenty years. Rosen is a professor of psychology who is well versed in philosophy, mathematics, and physics, and his essays treat topics that draw together ideas from all of these fields. Some of the chapters of Science, Paradox, and the Moebius Principle discuss issues in mathematics and physics in ways that may present a challenge for people in the behavioral sciences or (...) humanities. This is especially true of the chapter "A Neo-Intuitive Proposal for Kaluza-Klein Unification," which, originally published in Foundations of Physics, is a technically sophisticated essay on cosmogony conceived as a process of dimensional generation. Even this paper, however, is accessible in its basic ideas to the general reader. And it is well worth serious study, for it formulates Rosen’s theoretical program in an uncompromisingly rigorous and elegant way. It is a tour de force and the centerpiece of the collection. (shrink)

This book addresses two significant and interrelated problems confronting modern theoretical physics: the unification of the forces of nature and the evolution of the universe. In bringing out the inadequacies of the prevailing approach to these questions, the need is demonstrated for more than just a new theory. The meanings of space and time themselves must be radically rethought, which requires a whole new philosophical foundation. To this end, we turn to the phenomenological writings of Martin Heidegger and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. (...) Their insights into space and time bring the natural world to life in a manner well-suited to the dynamic phenomena of contemporary physics. In aligning continental thought with problems in physics and cosmology, topology is employed. Phenomenological intuitions about space and time are systematically fleshed out via an unconventional approach to this qualitative branch of mathematics. Topological phenomenology is applied to such topics as quantum gravity, cosmogony, symmetry, spin, vorticity, dimension theory, Kaluza-Klein and string theories, fermion-boson interrelatedness, hypernumbers, and the mind-matter interface. (shrink)

Relativistic quantum theories are equipped with a background Minkowski spacetime and non-relativistic quantum theories with a Galilean space-time. Traditional investigations have distinguished their distinct space-time structures and have examined ways in which relativistic theories become sufficiently like Galilean theories in a low velocity approximation or limit. A different way to look at their relationship is to see that both kinds of theories are special cases of a certain five-dimensional generalization involving no limiting procedures or approximations. When one compares them, striking (...) features emerge that bear on philosophical questions, including the ontological status of the wave function and time reversal invariance. (shrink)

It is taken for granted that the explanation of the Universe’s space-time dimension belongs to the host of the arguments that exhibit the superiority of modern (inflationary) cosmology over the standard model. In the present paper some doubts are expressed . They are based upon the fact superstring theory is too formal to represent genuine unification of general relativity and quantum field theory. Neveretheless, the fact cannot exclude the opportunity that in future the superstring theory can become more physical. Hence (...) this paper does not aim to query neither string cosmology, nor superstring theory; it asks for “tolerance in the matters cosmological”. It advices the researchers not to dwell on the common way of unification and to take into consideration the other ways as well. (shrink)

The boundary of a boundary principle in field theories is described. The difference in treatment of the principle in electrodynamics and general relativity is pointed out and reformulated in terms of underlying mathematical structure of the theories. The problem of unifying the treatment is formulated and solved. The role of E. Cartan's concept of the moment of rotation associated with the curvature of a Levi-Civita connection on a frame bundle is shown to be crucial for the unification. The analysis of (...) the boundary of a boundary principle in Kaluza-Klein theory is performed and the recipe for a unified treatment of the principle in electrodynamics and general relativity is shown to follow from the analysis. It is pointed out that the unification cand be extended to Yang-Mills fields easily. (shrink)

Cet article propose d’identifier le fragment anonyme du manuscrit Basel, UB, A.X.24, ff. 1‑73v avec les questionnes sur les Sentences de Nicholas Aston, connu grâce aux travaux pionniers de Zenon Kaluza. Une analyse des détails techniques de ce texte permet également d’avancer l’hypothèse que les Articuli d’Aston peuvent être lus comme des traces des principia. En annexe, nous éditons la liste des questions du manuscrit Basel, UB, A.X.24, ainsi qu’une concordance entre ce manuscrit et les autres témoins manuscrits d’Aston, afin (...) de démontrer que ce nouveau témoin contient la tradition la plus complète du texte d’Aston. (shrink)

An outline is given as to how gauge transformations in a frame fiber can be interpreted as defining various types of transport of a moving frame along a path. The cases of general linear, parallel, Lorentz, and other transport groups are examined in Minkowski space-time. A specific set of frame coordinates is introduced. A number of results are obtained including a generalization of Frenet-Serret transport, an extension of Fermi-Walker transport, a relation between frame spaces and certain types of Finsler space, (...) and a derivation of a Kaluza-Klein type metric. Frame transport in general Riemannian space-time is also discussed. (shrink)

The main features of how to build a Born’s Reciprocal Gravitational theory in curved phase-spaces are developed. By recurring to the nonlinear connection formalism of Finsler geometry a generalized gravitational action in the 8D cotangent space (curved phase space) can be constructed involving sums of 5 distinct types of torsion squared terms and 2 distinct curvature scalars ${\mathcal{R}}, {\mathcal{S}}$ which are associated with the curvature in the horizontal and vertical spaces, respectively. A Kaluza-Klein-like approach to the construction of the curvature (...) of the 8D cotangent space and based on the (torsionless) Levi-Civita connection is provided that yields the observed value of the cosmological constant and the Brans-Dicke-Jordan Gravity action in 4D as two special cases. It is found that the geometry of the momentum space can be linked to the observed value of the cosmological constant when the curvature in $\mathit{momentum}$ space is very large, namely the small size of P is of the order of $( 1/R_{\mathit{Hubble}})$ . Finally we develop a Born’s reciprocal complex gravitational theory as a local gauge theory in 8D of the $\mathit{deformed}$ Quaplectic group that is given by the semi-direct product of U(1,3) with the $\mathit{deformed}$ (noncommutative) Weyl-Heisenberg group involving four $\mathit{noncommutative}$ coordinates and momenta. The metric is complex with symmetric real components and antisymmetric imaginary ones. An action in 8D involving 2 curvature scalars and torsion squared terms is presented. (shrink)

We unify three approaches within the vast body of gauge-theory research that have independently developed distinct representations of a geometrical surface-like structure underlying the vector-potential. The three approaches that we unify are: those who use the compactified dimensions of Kaluza–Klein theory, those who use Grassmannian models models) to represent gauge fields, and those who use a hidden spatial metric to replace the gauge fields. In this paper we identify a correspondence between the geometrical representations of the three schools. Each school (...) was mostly independently developed, does not compete with other schools, and attempts to isolate the gauge-invariant geometrical surface-like structures that are responsible for the resulting physics. By providing a mapping between geometrical representations, we hope physicists can now isolate representation-dependent physics from gauge-invariant physical results and share results between each school. We provide visual examples of the geometrical relationships between each school for \\) electric and magnetic fields. We highlight a first new result: in all three representations a static electric field has a hidden gauge-invariant time dependent surface that is underlying the vector potential. (shrink)

It is shown in the present paper that the transformation relating a parallel transported vector in a Weyl space to the original one is the product of a multiplicative gauge transformation and a proper orthochronous Lorentz transformation. Such a Lorentz transformation admits a spinor representation, which is obtained and used to deduce the transportation properties of a Weyl spinor, which are then expressed in terms of a composite gauge group defined as the product of a multiplicative gauge group and the (...) spinor group. These properties render a spinor amenable to its treatment as a particle coupled to a multidimensional gauge field in the framework of the Kaluza–Klein formulation extended to multidimensional gauge fields. In this framework, a fiber bundle is constructed with a horizontal, base space and a vertical, gauge space, which is a Lie group manifold, termed its structure group. For the present, the base is the Minkowski spacetime and the vertical space is the composite gauge group mentioned above. The fiber bundle is equipped with a Riemannian structure, which is used to obtain the classical description of motion of a spinor. In its classical picture, a Weyl spinor is found to behave as a spinning charged particle in translational motion. The corresponding quantum description is deduced from the Klein–Gordon equation in the Riemann spaces obtained by the methods of path-integration. This equation in the present fiber bundle reduces to the equation for a Weyl spinor, which is close to but differs somewhat from the squared Dirac equation. (shrink)

A Clifford-algebraic interpretation is proposed of the charge, mass, spin relationship found recently by Cooperstock and Faraoini, which was based on the Kerr–Newman metric solutions of the Einstein–Maxwell equations. The components of the polymomentum associated with a Clifford polyparticle in four dimensions provide for such a charge, mass, spin relationship without the problems encountered in Kaluza–Klein compactifications which furnish an unphysically large value for the electron charge. A physical reasoning behind such charge, mass, spin relationship is provided, followed by a (...) discussion on the geometrical derivation of the fine structure constant by Wyler, Smith, Gonzalez-Martin and Smilga. To finalize, the renormalization of electric charge is discussed and some remarks are made pertaining the modifications of the charge–scale relationship, when the spin of the polyparticle changes with scale, that may cast some light into the alleged Astrophysical variations of the fine structure constant. (shrink)

The host of SUSY(supersymmetry) based string theories is considered. Superstrings are comprehended as possible candidates on Quantum Gravity basic objects. It is argued that superstring theories constitute mainly mathematical progress and can reconcile general relativity with quantum field theory at best. Yet they cannot provide the genuine synthesis. Superstring unification of all the four forces at hand is a formal one . It is contended that genesis and proliferation of superstrings can better be described not by philosophy of science models (...) but in terms of modern sociology of science. The formal character of gravity and quantum fields fusion and the lack of experimental verification make the transition to superstring theories ad hoc in Lakatosian standards. Possible way of explanation is proposed based on social interests conception of Andrew Pickering. -/- Key words: superstrings, unification, Kaluza-Klein, sociology of science . (shrink)

Removing a black hole conic singularity by means of Kruskal representation is equivalent to imposing extensibility on the Kasner–Fronsdal local isometric embedding of the corresponding black hole geometry. Allowing for globally non-trivial embeddings, living in Kaluza–Klein-like M 5 × S 1 (rather than in standard Minkowski M 6 ) and parametrized by some wave number k, extensibility can be achieved for apparently “forbidden” frequencies ω in the range ω 1 (k) ≤ ω ≤ ω 2 (k). As k → 0, (...) ω 1, 2 (0) → ωH (e.g., ωH = 1/4M in the Schwarzschild case) such that the Hawking–Gibbons limit is fully recovered. The various Kruskal sheets are then viewed as slices of the Kaluza–Klein background. Euclidean k discreteness, dictated by imaginary time periodicity, is correlated with flux quantization of the underlying embedding gauge field. (shrink)

In a recent paper [J. G. Vargas and D. G. Torr, Found. Phys. 27, 599 (1997)], we have shown that a subset of the differential invariants that define teleparallel connections in spacetime generates a teleparallel Kaluza-Klein space (KKS) endowed with a very rich Clifford structure. A canonical Dirac equation hidden in this structure might be uncovered with the help of a teleparallel Kähler calculus in KKS. To bridge the gap to such a calculus from the existing Riemannian Kähler calculus in (...) spacetime, we commence the construction of a teleparallel Kähler calculus in spacetime. In the process, we notice: (a) Unknown to him, one of Einstein's equations in his attempt at unification with teleparallelism states that the interior covariant derivative of the torsion is zero. (b) A mechanism exists in the tangent bundle of teleparallel spaces for producing confinement (in the applicable cases, one would have to show why nonconfinement also occurs, rather than the other way around). (c) When the torsion is not zero, the interior covariant derivative in the sense of Kähler, δF, does not coincide with *d*F. The system (dF = 0, δF = j) rather than (dF = 0, *d*F = j) should then be used for generalizations of Maxwell's electrodynamics. (shrink)

Preceded by a historical introduction the problem of a multi-dimensional extension of the geometrical framework of physical reality is discussed. Both metrical space-time and superspace are taken into account. Arguments in favour of a six-dimensional space-time D=6 are presented. A conviction that - according to „the spirit of Kaluza's theory” - all vector fields should be incorporated into the metric is a prejudice: some are ingredients of metric, but some other are genuine multivectors. The idea of supersymmetry is taken into (...) account only in so far that fundamental fields form a supermultiplet of highest extension N=8, but supersymmetry is only global whereas local interactions do not need to be fully supersymmetric but locally gauge invariant and generally relativistic (replacing partial by covariant derivatives). Even a global supersymmetry may soften convergence difficulties so that super-string may be dispensed with. The set of all fields including 3 families of quarks and leptons may be arranged into a table resembling Mendelejev's one. A generalized Higgs mechanism explains high value of masses, also that of top quark. (shrink)

Why did Einstein tirelessly study unified field theory for more than 30 years? In this book, the author argues that Einstein believed he could find a unified theory of all of nature's forces by repeating the methods he used when he formulated general relativity. The book discusses Einstein's route to the general theory of relativity, focusing on the philosophical lessons that he learnt. It then addresses his quest for a unified theory for electromagnetism and gravity, discussing in detail his efforts (...) with Kaluza-Klein and, surprisingly, the theory of spinors. From these perspectives, Einstein's critical stance towards the quantum theory comes to stand in a new light. This book will be of interest to physicists, historians and philosophers of science. (shrink)

In Kaluza's five-dimensional unified field theory the restriction for the 55 component of the metric tensor γ55=1 demands that the 15 equations for the unified field be weakened. Equations which have been proposed have identically vanishing trace. The equations then admit only a radiation field as source of the gravitational field. By relaxing the condition, this limitation is avoided, while retaining the striking successes of the five-dimensional approach. A scalar function, determined by the 15th field equation apart from integration constants, (...) provides source terms for both the gravitational and electromagnetic fields, in the latter case of polarization type. (shrink)

The papers presented in this volume in honour of Alfonso Maieru cover some of the major topics of his research area. The institutional and intellectual life of university training in the Middle Ages, including the peculiar tradition of related works, is the focus of the papers by Louis Jacques Bataillon, William J. Courtenay, Jacqueline Hamesse, Zenon Kaluza, Loris Sturlese and Olga Weijers. Three papers, by Jacopo Costa, Pasquale Porro and Thomas Ricklin, deal with philosophical problems in Dante'sMonarchia and Convivio. The (...) complex interrelations between logic and the other main aspects of medieval philosophy, with a particular attention to theology, metaphysics and natural philosophy, are the core of the other papers by Stefano Caroti, Sten Ebbesen, Barbara Faes de Mottoni, Simo Knuuttila, Alain de Libera, Olga Lizzini, Costantino Marmo, Claude Panaccio, Ivan Bendwell, Irene Rosier-Catach, Lambert Marie de Rijk, Leonardo Sileo, Luisa Valente, and Albert Zimmermann. A larger number of friends and colleagues of Alfonso Maieru than those who appear as contributors and editors of this volume have warmly welcomed its publication. We could say, therefore, that it is absolutely contingent that the Editors are: Stefano Caroti (Universita degli Studi di Parma), Ruedi Imbach (Universite de Paris-Sorbonne), Zenon Kaluza (Centre d'Etudes des Religions du Livre, C.N.R.S), Loris Sturlese (Universita degli Studi di Lecce) and Giorgio Stabile(Universita degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza"). (shrink)

"Philosophy -- The Later Middle Ages: Zenon Kaluza.Conceived as an hommage for Edouard Jeauneau -- "mantre par excellence -- the volume is introduced by a ...

Nicolas d’Autrécourt (c. 1298-1369) est l’un des penseurs les plus audacieux de l’histoire de la philosophie, et Zénon Kaluza, qui lui a consacré près de trente ans d’études, nous le fait découvrir par ses sources, ses doctrines et ses manuscrits. Ce livre propose notamment des analyses sur des thèmes importants (tels que la perception, la causalité finale, les catégories ou l’éternité du monde) ainsi qu’une nouvelle édition des Prologues de l’Exigit ordo, enrichie d’un commentaire suivi. Les études—dont certaines sont parues (...) mais difficiles d’accès et d’autres sont inédites—dévoilent la figure d’un philosophe désirant de libérer la philosophie des contraintes institutionnelles et de critiquer la métaphysique d’Aristote, au risque de bouleverser les traditions, de contredire les dogmes de la foi et se voir condamner par les autorités théologiques de son temps. Nicolas d'Autrécourt (c. 1298-1369) is one of the most daring thinkers in the history of philosophy, and Zénon Kaluza, who has devoted to him nearly thirty years of study, presents him to us through his sources, his doctrines and his manuscripts. The reader will find studies on some of the most relevant philosophical doctrines (such as perception, the final causality, the categories and the eternity of the world) as well as a new edition of the Prologues of the _Exigit ordo_, enriched with a running commentary. The texts gathered here—some of which have been published previously but are difficult to access and others which have been unpublished until now—reveal a philosopher who wished to free philosophy from institutional constraints and dared to criticize Aristotle's metaphysics, at the risk of upsetting traditions and contradicting the dogmas of the faith, and who was condemned by the theological authorities of his time. (shrink)

Beginning with a Cuban Catholic ritual in Miami, this book takes readers on a momentous theoretical journey toward a new understanding of religion.

The rise of foundational dualism and the eclipse of the body -- "Body am I entirely, and nothing else": non-reductive materialism and the struggle against dualism -- Toward a materialist phenomenology of religion -- The phenomenology of embodiment and the study of religion -- Religious bodies as social artifacts -- Holding social constructionism in check: the recovery of the active, lived body -- A cultural neurophenomenology of religion: enter the embodied mind -- The eclipse of practice: textualism at large -- (...) "Ceci n'est pas un texte": from textualism to practice -- Expanding the conversation on emplaced religion -- Mobility, networks, and ecology. (shrink)