Functionalist explanation of spacetime

Abstract

In contemporary physics, from General relativity and Quantum mechanics to new research programs of Quantum gravity, we can find a vast variety of spacetime structures, which makes the interpretation of this concept a real challenge. Recently, a group of authors advanced a new interpretation of spacetime called ?spacetime functionalism?, with the idea that spacetime should be defined via its functional role in the physical theory, in other words, ?spacetime is what spacetime does?. A material field or an object are spatiotemporal if they play a defined role in a physical theory. The approach is meant to be widely applicable, from classical mechanics to possible new theories of Quantum gravity, where spacetime might not appear at the fundamental theory level. Functionalism can be well combined with the emergent spacetime. It should also shed a new light on traditional philosophical debates between substantivists and relationists and between realists and anti-realists.