Essay Abstract
In the absence of empirical testability, research on quantum gravity (QG) typically relies on appeals to guiding principles. This essay frames two such principles within the context of the condensed matter approach to QG. I first identify two distinct versions of this approach, and then consider the extent to which the principles of asymptotic safety and relative locality are supported by these versions. The general hope is that a focus on distinct versions of a single approach may provide insight into the conceptual and foundational significance of these principles.
Author Bio
Jonathan Bain is an associate professor of philosophy of science at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University. He specializes in philosophy of physics, and history and philosophy of science, and has published on foundational issues in quantum field theory and general relativity.
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