Wolfgang Smith (1930-2024), mathematician, philosopher of physics and metaphysician.
John Taylor is a graduate student at the London School of Economics.
This article was originally published by Philos-Sophia Initiative.
The point here is to show that Newton’s concept of absolute space is not as problematic as once thought, and that the conflict between relationalists and substantivists can be resolved. All we need to do is adopt Wolfgang Smith’s ontological distinction between the corporeal and the physical. This will show that absolute space and relationalism are just two sides of the same coin. As a result, certain questions of mechanics, such as motion, traditionally regarded as physical, are in fact metaphysical and can be explained accordingly.
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