If inertia can be defined in the complete absence of matter, then the causal-explanatory role Mach's Principle assigns to matter distribution is rendered otiose within general relativity's formalism.

?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.

No one has weighed in yet. Be the first to share reasons for or against this statement.

General relativity(as used in physics): Einstein's theory explaining how gravity works by describing space and time as flexible, bendable things affected by massive objects like stars and planets.
Mach's Principle(Used by Einstein as a constraint on valid solutions to the gravitational field equations): The principle that inertia is determined solely by matter, such that no inertial structure or field can exist in the absence of matter
causal-explanatory role(describing what values would need to do to fit naturally into the world): The ability to cause things to happen or to explain why things in the world work the way they do.
formalism(Applied as a critique of both metaphysics and the sciences in Horkheimer's later work): The logical practice of relating facts to concepts in terms of the relation of classes to instances, accomplished by simple deduction, resulting in static universals into which all particulars can be neatly placed

Based on where you are in your exploration