The concepts and theories of modern physics / By J.B. Stallo.

  • John Stallo
Date:
1900
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: The concepts and theories of modern physics / By J.B. Stallo. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    merit for the designation of “ space in general ” (as distinguished from “ flat space,” in the metageometrical sense).* Ganss, in turn, took the expression, no doubt, from Ilerhartjf to whose attempt at an elaboration of the idea of space from the manifold qualitative data of sense I have already referred, and whose jihilosophy is, to a great extent, a sort of reproduction of the old Eleatic quandaries about “ The One and the Many.” Herbart, in tine, had obtained it from Kant, whose dis- ciple he was, or believed himself to be, and whose phrase “ Majiniqfaltiglceiten der Empjiiidung ” is vari- ously found, not only in his own writings, but also in those of his followers. The only comment which I deem it necessary to make on this proposition is that space is not a “ multiple ” or “ aggregate ” at all, but that its very essence is con- tinuity. This, as has been abundantly shown, follows from its conceptual nature as well as from its relativity. The determination of points in space, or “ elements ” of space, results from the establishment of quantitative relations between its parts, i. e., its purely arbitrary divisions, by means of numbers, in the manner to be considered presently. I have already shown, in the * In his Amcige of the Theoria rcsiduorum biquadraticorum, Cora- mcntatio secunda, Gauss says: “ Der Verfasser hat sich vorbehalten, den Gegonstand welcher in der vorlicgcndcn Abhandlung eigentlich nur gclegentlieh beruehrt ist, kuenftig vollstaendig zu bearbeiteu, wo dann auch die fVnge, vjarum die Relnlion^n ztciftchen Dingeiu die eine Mannig- faltigkeit von mehr ats zirei Dimennoncn darhieten, nicht noeh andcre, in der allgemeinen Arithmetic zulaesnge Artai von Groesxcn liefem koennen, ihre Bcantivortung Jinden wird. Gauss, Werke, vol. ii, p. IVS. This notice appeared originally in the Gocttingischc Gelehrte Auzeigen of April 25, 1881. f In his Synechologie, c. g., Herbart speaks of “ die MnnnigfolHgkcit der irrationalen Fortxehreitwigen in Bezug auj' den liaum'' Ilerbart’s Werke, vol. iv, p. 153.