Background Independence, Diffeomorphism Invariance, and the Meaning of Coordinates

Understand

Diffeomorphism invariance is sometimes taken to be a criterion of background independence.

• This claim is commonly accompanied by a second, that the genuine physical magnitudes (the "observables") of background-independent theories and those of background-dependent (non-diffeomorphism-invariant) theories are essentially different in nature.
• I argue against both claims.
• Background-dependent theories can be formulated in a diffeomorphism-invariant manner.