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Full Idea
While the first and second laws of motion are known to fail in the domain of very fast-moving and massive objects (i.e. where relativity deviates from classical mechanics) as well as in the quantum realm, the third law is still assumed to hold good.
Gist of Idea
In modern physics the first and second laws of motion (unlike the third) fail at extremes
Source
R.D. Ingthorsson (A Powerful Particulars View of Causation [2021], 4.04)
Book Ref
'Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Time', ed/tr. Callender,Craig [OUP 2013], p.64
A Reaction
This implies a universal status for the third law (equal and opposite reactions), which the other two lack. Ingthorsson sees this as crucial for our understanding of causation.
| 24064 | If something is pushed, it pushes back [Aristotle] |
| 19673 | Galileo mathematised movement, and revealed its invariable component - acceleration [Galileo, by Meillassoux] |
| 20964 | Descartes said there was conservation of 'quantity of motion' [Descartes, by Papineau] |
| 20968 | Newton's Third Law implies the conservation of momentum [Newton, by Papineau] |
| 15958 | Inertia rejects the Aristotelian idea of things having natural states, to which they return [Newton, by Alexander,P] |
| 17017 | 1: Bodies rest, or move in straight lines, unless acted on by forces [Newton] |
| 17019 | 3: All actions of bodies have an equal and opposite reaction [Newton] |
| 17018 | 2: Change of motion is proportional to the force [Newton] |
| 22173 | Galileo refuted the Aristotelian theory that heavier objects fall faster [Okasha] |
| 22618 | In modern physics the first and second laws of motion (unlike the third) fail at extremes [Ingthorsson] |