Economics Dictionary of ArgumentsHome | |||
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Absolute: something that is not dependent on conditions. Question is there absolute rest, absolute speed? - Antonym to relative._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. | |||
Author | Concept | Summary/Quotes | Sources |
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Richard Feynman on Absoluteness - Dictionary of Arguments
Feynman Lectures I 232 (German edition) Absolute/Movement/Absoluteness/The Absolute/Philosophy/Feynman/FeynmanVsPhilosophers: it is not meaningless to speak of absolute velocity. Our inability to detect absolute motion comes from experiments - not merely from pure thought. >Absoluteness/Berkeley, >Absoluteness/Field, >Absoluteness/Fraassen, >Absoluteness/Lewis, >Absoluteness/Putnam. Even in Newton's time, everything was already relative. - No one cared, because only Maxwell's equations seemed to make it possible to measure speed from within. >Relativism, >Relativity theory. I 233 It is true that absolute motion is meaningless. - It is meaningless, because it cannot be proven. - Not the other way around. - It is meaningless, because it cannot be defined. >Meaning, >Definability, >Definitions. Feynman: Some philosophers argue that motion cannot be proven without looking at the outside world. - That is not true. - Only linear constant movement cannot be proven without consideration for the outside world. - Example: Internal evidence of Earth's rotation: Foucault's pendulum._____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition. |
Feynman I Richard Feynman The Feynman Lectures on Physics. Vol. I, Mainly Mechanics, Radiation, and Heat, California Institute of Technology 1963 German Edition: Vorlesungen über Physik I München 2001 Feynman II R. Feynman The Character of Physical Law, Cambridge, MA/London 1967 German Edition: Vom Wesen physikalischer Gesetze München 1993 |