Hi everyone👋.

I am deeply interested in what could be termed the philosophy of travel. The philosopher Emily Thomas, in her recent book The Meaning of Travel: Philosophers Abroad, explores how travel has influenced philosophical thought and how philosophers have engaged with the concept of travel, particularly from the 16th century onward.

One fascinating example Thomas discusses is Francis Bacon, who, at the close of the 16th century, introduced a revolutionary approach to the philosophy of science. Bacon critiqued the armchair method of learning and argued that true knowledge required venturing out into the world — traveling to collect natural specimens such as fossils, plants, and animals. He believed that the knowledge gained through travel could be brought home to advance our understanding of the natural world. This, Thomas contends, marks one of the earliest serious intersections of philosophy and travel.

Another example is John Locke, who saw travel literature as a key to understanding the workings of the human mind. Locke argued that if humans possessed innate ideas, these ideas would be universal across cultures. However, travel accounts revealed striking differences in beliefs about God, morality, and other concepts, which Locke used to challenge the notion of innate ideas and support his philosophical empiricism.

Perhaps one of the most intriguing points Thomas raises is the changing perception of mountains in the early 18th century. Historically viewed as "ugly warts" or blemishes on the Earth, mountains became celebrated as majestic and even divine due to a shift in metaphysical conceptions of space. This change was largely influenced by Sir Isaac Newton's theory of absolute space, which identified space with God, imbuing infinite landscapes with a quasi-divine quality. As a result, mountain landscapes, once reviled, began to be seen as cathedrals to the divine, sparking a surge in mountain tourism.

In addition to these examples, Thomas briefly discusses philosophers such as Margaret Cavendish and her Blazing World, Edmund Burke’s engagement with the sublime and tourism, and Henry Thoreau’s reflections on wilderness and philosophy.

Thomas ultimately argues that travel can be a profound source of knowledge and personal transformation, drawing parallels between the literal act of journeying to distant lands and the metaphorical journey of philosophical inquiry.

With this context in mind, I am curious:

• Are there other philosophers who have used travel to develop their philosophical ideas or critique existing concepts?
• Which philosophers regarded travel as essential to their worldview?
• Are there additional examples of philosophical ideas that have revolutionised how humans perceive or engage with travel?

Any insights or references would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Recently, I have been exploring contemporary developments in the search for a quantum theory of gravity within theoretical physics. Among the most promising approaches are string theory (particularly M-theory), loop quantum gravity, asymptotically safe gravity, causal set theory (including causal dynamical triangulation), and theories of induced or emergent gravity. A unifying theme across these frameworks is the concept of emergent spacetime. For instance, physicists Sean Carroll and Leonard Susskind have advocated for the idea that spacetime emerges from quantum entanglement; Hyan Seok Yang has observed that “emergent spacetime is the new fundamental paradigm for quantum gravity”; and Nima Arkani-Hamed has gone so far as to declare that “spacetime is doomed.”

These emergent theories propose that the continuous, metrical, and topological structure of spacetime — as described by Einstein’s general theory of relativity — is not fundamental. Rather, it is thought to arise from a more foundational, non-spatiotemporal substrate associated with quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. Frameworks that explore this include theories centered on quantum entanglement, causal sets, computational universe models, and loop quantum gravity. In essence, emergent spacetime theories suggest that space and time are not ontological foundations but instead emerge from deeper, non-spatial, non-temporal quantum structures. Here is an excellent article which discusses this in-greater detail: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-spacetime-really-made-of/

Interestingly, several philosophers have advanced similar ideas in favour of an emergent ontology of space and time. Alfred North Whitehead, for example, conceived of the laws of nature as evolving habits rather than as eternal, immutable principles. In his view, even spacetime itself arises as an emergent habit, shaped by the network of occasions that constituted the early universe. In Process and Reality, Whitehead describes how spacetime, or the “extensive continuum,” emerges from the collective activity of “actual occasions of experience” — his ontological primitives, inspired by quantum events.

Philosopher Edward Slowik has recently argued that both Leibniz and Kant serve as philosophical predecessors to modern non-spatiotemporal theories, suggesting they may have anticipated aspects of contemporary quantum gravity approaches (https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/23221/1/EM%20Spatial%20Emergence%20%26%20Property.pdf). With this in mind, I am curious whether there are any other philosophers or philosophical schools of thought that might be seen as forerunners of a worldview where the material world (space and time) emerges from non-spatial entities. I am particularly interested in potential influences from ancient, medieval, early modern, or modern philosophy.

Any guidance on this topic would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I'm looking for the origins or the stories that inspires stories like the Yuuzhan Vong (Star Wars), Tyranids (Warhammer 40k) or Reapers (Mass Effect).

It intrigues me of how someone could come out with this theory of other Creature or Beings from different galaxies invading another one.