Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Writing the Book of the World', 'The Ultimate Constituents of Matter' and 'Action, Intention and Reason'

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3 ideas

27. Natural Reality / C. Space / 2. Space
Six dimensions are needed for a particular, three within its own space, and three to locate that space [Russell]
     Full Idea: The world of particulars is a six-dimensional space, where six co-ordinates will be required to assign the position of any particular, three to assign its position in its own space, and three to assign the position of its space among the other spaces.
     From: Bertrand Russell (The Ultimate Constituents of Matter [1915], p.134)
     A reaction: Not a proposal that has caught on. One might connect the idea with the notion of 'frames of reference' in Einstein's Special Theory. Inside a frame of reference, three co-ordinates are needed; but where is the frame of reference?
27. Natural Reality / C. Space / 4. Substantival Space
Space has real betweenness and congruence structure (though it is not the Euclidean concepts) [Sider]
     Full Idea: In metaphysics, space is intrinsically structured; the genuine betweenness and congruence relations are privileged in a way that Euclidean-betweenness and Euclidean-congruence are not.
     From: Theodore Sider (Writing the Book of the World [2011], 03.4)
     A reaction: I note that Einstein requires space to be 'curved', which implies that it is a substance with properties.
27. Natural Reality / C. Space / 6. Space-Time
The central question in the philosophy of time is: How alike are time and space? [Sider]
     Full Idea: The central question in the philosophy of time is: How alike are time and space?
     From: Theodore Sider (Writing the Book of the World [2011], 11.1)