Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Sweet Dreams', 'fragments/reports' and 'Two Chief World Systems'

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3 ideas

27. Natural Reality / A. Classical Physics / 1. Mechanics / a. Explaining movement
That which moves, moves neither in the place in which it is, nor in that in which it is not [Zeno of Elea]
     Full Idea: That which moves, moves neither in the place in which it is, nor in that in which it is not.
     From: Zeno (Elea) (fragments/reports [c.450 BCE], B4), quoted by (who?) - where?
27. Natural Reality / A. Classical Physics / 1. Mechanics / b. Laws of motion
Galileo mathematised movement, and revealed its invariable component - acceleration [Galileo, by Meillassoux]
     Full Idea: Galileo conceives of movement in mathematical terms. ...In doing so, he uncovered, beyond the variations of position and speed, the mathematical invariant of movement - that is to say, acceleration.
     From: report of Galileo Galilei (Two Chief World Systems [1632]) by Quentin Meillassoux - After Finitude; the necessity of contingency 5
     A reaction: That is a very nice advert for the mathematical physics which replaced the Aristotelian substantial forms. ...And yet, is acceleration some deep fact about nature, or a concept which is only needed if you insist on being mathematical?
27. Natural Reality / C. Space / 5. Relational Space
If everything is in a place, what is the place in? Place doesn't exist [Zeno of Elea, by Simplicius]
     Full Idea: If there is a place it will be in something, because everything that exists is in something. But what is in something is in a place. Therefore the place will be in a place, and so on ad infinitum. Therefore, there is no such thing as place.
     From: report of Zeno (Elea) (fragments/reports [c.450 BCE], B3) by Simplicius - On Aristotle's 'Physics' 9.562.3