Berkeley on true motion
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10799153 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Scott Harkema (0000-0002-4638-6979) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 105 |
| Pages | 165-174 |
| Publication date | 2024-06-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Studies in History and Philosophy of Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0039-3681 • E-ISSN: 1879-2510 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.shpsa.2024.05.015 |
| PMID | 38795607 |
| OpenAlex | W4398793478 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 12 |
Studies of the Early Modern debate concerning absolute and relative space and motion often ignore the significance of the concept of true motion in this debate. Even philosophers who denied the existence of absolute space maintained that true motions could be distinguished from merely apparent ones. In this paper, I examine Berkeley's endorsement of this distinction and the problems it raises. First, Berkeley's endorsement raises a problem of consistency with his other philosophical commitments, namely his idealism. Second, Berkeley's endorsement raises a problem of adequacy, namely whether Berkeley can provide an adequate account of what grounds the distinction between true and merely apparent motion. In this paper, I argue that sensitivity to Berkeley's distinction between what is true in the metaphysical, scientific, and vulgar domains can address both the consistency and the adequacy problems. I argue that Berkeley only accepts true motion in the scientific and vulgar domains, and not the metaphysical. There is thus no inconsistency between his endorsement of true motion in science and ordinary language, and his metaphysical idealism. Further, I suggest that sensitivity to these three domains shows that Berkeley possesses resources to give an adequate account of how true motions are discovered in natural science
Absolute (philosophy · Absolute time and space · Classical mechanics · Consistency (knowledge bases · Epistemology · Idealism · Metaphysics · Motion (physics · Physics · Theoretical physics · Theory of relativity · Classical Philosophy and Thought · Historical Philosophy and Science · History of Science and Medicine · Mathematics · Philosophy
Berkeley, Newton and the stars
Huygens on Inertial Structure and Relativity
On the Distinction Between Absolute and Relative Motion
A Note on Berkeley as Precursor of Mach
Berkeley's Philosophy of Motion
Force and Absolute Motion in Berkeley's Philosophy of Physics
Berkeley and the Principle of Inertia
Berkeley's Criticism of Newton on Space and Motion
| Highly cited | No |
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