Newton's "de Gravitatione" Argument: Cartesian Relationalist Dynamics and the Structure of Space and Time

Dissertation, The Ohio State University (1994)
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Abstract

What properties must space, or the modern notion of space-time, possess to allow the development of a coherent description of the natural world? My dissertation explores various aspects of this problem, both as they developed historically in a famous dispute between Descartes and Newton, and as they appear in more modern approaches to mechanics. In an early paper, De gravitatione, Newton presented an argument against Descartes' theory of space and time that has generated much controversy. Descartes had postulated a theory that regards space and time as formed merely from the relations among material bodies; yet, on the other hand, he had appealed to a particle's velocity in his theory of motion. Newton objected, claiming that, in order to define velocity or motion coherently, the natural world must possess a means of identifying the same spatial locations over time . However, if space is viewed as a special form of entity with an independent existence, as Newton believed, then the enduring spatial locations required for determining "velocity" make sense. Although philosophers for many years were receptive to Descartes' "relationalist" philosophy, modern research has tended to favor Newton's side of the dispute, for most physical theories rely upon notions of "velocity" or "acceleration" that require an independent space-time backdrop. Nevertheless, not all coherent theories meet Newton's demands--the modern theory of machines does not; thus, I explore the possibility that Newton's argument could be answered in this vein. My thesis traces through these concerns in great detail, concluding that, despite the appeal of Descartes' rejection of space as an independent entity, Cartesian science is unable to completely resolve the dilemma posed by Newton's argument

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Edward Slowik
Winona State University

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