A paradigm shift distinguishes general relativity from classical mechanics. In general relativity the energy-momentum tensor is the effective cause of the ontological space-time curvature and vice-versa, while in classical physics, the structure of space-time is treated as an accidental cause, serving only as a backdrop against which the laws of physics unfold. This split in turn is inherited by quantum mechanics, which is usually developed by changing classical (including special relativity) Hamiltonians into quantum wave equations.