back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 12985

[from 'New Essays on Human Understanding' by Gottfried Leibniz, in 27. Natural Reality / A. Classical Physics / 1. Mechanics / a. Explaining movement ]

Full Idea

I believe 'motion' to be definable, and the definition which says that it is 'change of place' deserves respect.

Gist of Idea

Maybe motion is definable as 'change of place'

Source

Gottfried Leibniz (New Essays on Human Understanding [1704], 3.04)

Book Reference

Leibniz,Gottfried: 'New Essays on Human Understanding', ed/tr. Remnant/Bennett [CUP 1996], p.297


A Reaction

This seems to be the 'at-at' view of motion, championed by Bertrand Russell. (At p1 at t1, at p2 at t2...). Leibniz's version only mentions space and not time, and it includes 'change', which would need definition without mentioning motion.