The atomists can almost be said to have invented the concept of absolute space with their notions of void and depriviligization of the notion of place (topos), no? Before them ancient physics was all about everything moving to its proper place in the world system -- earth downward, fire upward, water to the middle, air to the upper middle, and ether going 'round and 'round.
It would be kind of cool if Aristotelian physics were true -- we'd be filling the space shuttle up with fire to make it move, and then shove satellites made of ether out of it into orbit. ;)
-- andie nachgeborenen:
Seems to assume absolute time and space, blown up by relativity theory.
--- Chris Doss <lookoverhere1 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> IIRC Epicurus postulated the curve in order to
> account
> for change -- if the whole universe is atoms moving
> in
> one direction at the same speed, with nothing to
> alter
> that arrangement, they will always remain in the
> same
> position relative to one another.
Nu, zayats, pogodi!
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