Abstract

In this article we analyse the role of the principle of relativity and the generalisation of Lorentz transformations in Einstein's relativistic physics, whose philosophical ideal was the construction of an image of nature endowed with maximum unity and logical simplicity. In his critical-rationalist realism, Einstein aimed to develop a "conception of the world" that expressed the logical unity of nature. Throughout his scientific career, this philosophical programme led him to produce "great syntheses", seeking compatibility between different physical systems.