green numbers give full details | back to texts | unexpand this idea
| 5492 | How can essences generate the right powers to vary with distance between objects? |
| Full Idea: In Newtonian physics the distance between two objects determines the attractive forces between them, but then the objects will have to be sensitive to the distance, in order to 'know' what forces to generate; but distance isn't a causal power. | |||
| From: David M. Armstrong (Two Problems for Essentialism [2001], p.170) | |||
| A reaction: Ellis replies that he is not troubled, because he believes in essential properties which are separate from their causal roles. Indeed, how else could you explain their causal roles? Still, distance must be mentioned when explaining gravity. |