Leibniz and the modern value of vacuum

Abstract: Descartes Leibniz inheritance associated with the material on the concept of space and time and space relative to oppose the proposed Newton's absolute time and space, thereby denying the vacuum of empty existence. Leibniz Research on vacuum in his time did not have much effect, but for the abandoned 20th century revolution in physics, Newton's absolute space and time to provide the ideological resources.

Keywords: Leibniz; vacuum; time and space
Abstract: Leibniz inherited Cartesian concept on the relevance between space and material and put forward relative view of space-time to oppose Newton's absolute view of space-time, so he denied the existence of the vacuum which is nothing. Leibniz's Research results on the vacuum did not have much effect in his era, but it provided the resources of thinking to get rid of Newton's absolute space-time in the physics revolution in the 20th century.

Keywords:: Leibniz; vacuum; view of space-time


Leibniz was living in the historians of science as "the genius of the century," the 17th century, and Kepler, Galileo, Descartes, Pascal, Boyle, Newton and other great masters in the history of science in the same era. Leibniz is not only a great mathematician and philosopher, and is a modern (and perhaps only one) can be shoulder to shoulder Aristotle's encyclopedic scholar. He in the natural sciences other than human intellectual field, other than the great masters of his contemporaries have achieved more success. He is considered Germany's science, philosophy, the father, is still theological, technological invention, law, history, linguistics, political science and other fields have a class called the achievements of his contemporaries. A Western scholar has commented: "Leibniz may be the most comprehensive genius of the modern world, ... ... of the modern touches nearly every branch of knowledge. He was the last one hope to master all areas of modern knowledge and is encyclopedic character of people. "Perhaps because Leibniz Research areas involved are too broad, heterogeneous, many of his important value of Research results have not been in quite a long time attention, for example, his study of vacuum. Although the objective conditions of the time constraints, study of Leibniz in a vacuum to rely more on scientific speculation and philosophical speculation, but its conclusion has come 200 years after the master of science Einstein, Dirac and others coincide Research results on the vacuum, is indeed cause for their thoughts have lamented the genius.


1 "vacuum" in the historical context

Research on the vacuum and the debate can be traced back to ancient Greece. Democritus atomic theory such as those that the world is formed by the atoms and the void, the proposition put forward a vacuum; and Aristotle that the universe is full of the "ether", so there really is not void, and his famous "Nature abhors a vacuum." It can be said that the issue of human discussion and debate on the vacuum source, and continues today.

However, where it should be pointed out that the ambiguous concept of the vacuum, the so-called "physical vacuum" and "philosophical vacuum (or metaphysical vacuum)" parts, while the "physical vacuum" has "classic vacuum" and " quantum vacuum "of difference. the history of the concept of the vacuum are different emphases in different periods, the ancient Greek concept of vacuum is more philosophical sense, the preference for" empty "," nothingness "means; 17th century concept of the vacuum" physical vacuum "and" philosophical vacuum, "a combination of both; and the modern concept of vacuum is more" physical vacuum. "Of course, the" physical vacuum "and" philosophical vacuum, "the conceptual distinction is not entirely clear, can not be strictly separated in the field scientific issues and the basis of metaphysical questions, vacuum is still (and perhaps will always be) scientific, metaphysical, a tangled frontier.

Vacuum of the 17th century a great relationship with Descartes. In fact, people's view of nature is always the first on their own daily experience. For the relationship between matter and space is no exception. According to conventional thinking, it is very natural to Imagine a huge space, fixed empty house, the material is to be moved to this house, a piece of things, so space must be present before the material. In this way, empty the vacuum is possible. This is called the concept of absolute space. So some people imagine the Earth to the Sun Belt is a vacuum between. But Descartes did not think so. In his view, space and matter can not be separated, space exists only in the place has some of the material, The existence of matter can exist only to make space; empty the vacuum does not exist. He said: "In fact, we can not imagine a empty container, as can not imagine a mountain without the valley: this will mean that the extension can be envisaged without the contents of the container, or entity can be conceived without the extension: indeed, nothing can not have the extension. "As for the interstellar zone, Descartes that is not a vacuum, but filled with material, this material is Ethernet. Descartes deduced from the ether theory of his universe.

Descartes denied the existence of the doctrine has been vacuum Torricelli, Pascal and others a strong challenge. Both of them were doing, "Torricelli experiment", "vacuum experiment" to people "seeing is believing" to believe that experimental side of the glass tube in the mercury column exists in a vacuum. modern atomic theory, and Newton schools who also believe that the existence of a vacuum. Since then, there is one group in favor of a vacuum seems to have prevailed.

2 Leibniz "relative space" and Newton's "absolute space and time," the opposition

After Descartes, Leibniz is representative denied the existence of a vacuum, this vacuum exists insisted he and Newton had a heated debate school. In his view, the vacuum is nothing. Newton Clarke had accused the school of Descartes and Leibniz is equivalent to vacuum up with nothing. Clark said there is no room for doubt is nothing material in the space, but does not mean that space itself has been eliminated. In Clarke's view, "if the extension is the substance nature, then the material is equivalent to the space itself; It can be launched, the material must be omnipresent, infinite and eternal, and they can neither be created nor return to nothingness, which is absurd. "that is, said, according to Newton School, Descartes and Leibniz's mistake lies the crux of matter is equivalent to the space and up.

We know that classical mechanics is built on our building is the Newton's absolute time and space, the essence of can be summarized as "time and space exist independently of the substance." Leibniz against Newton's absolute time and space specific. He wrote: "I have the space as a purely relative thing, as the same time; as a co-existence of order, just as time is a continuation of the order of the same. as to the possibility for the existence of space marked the same thing an order, as long as these things exist together, without having to involve their specific mode of existence; when we see a few things together, we are aware of this order of things among themselves. "Here, Lai Buni Heights of space as a "co-existence of order"; the time as "continuation of the order." so-called "co-existence of order", "follow the order" is the more popular understanding of a relationship that is relatively time and space.

Leibniz that space, time, such as Newton's theory itself is not said is absolute, it exists. Time and space and materials and their movement closely, it does not matter to leave the matter of space, also left the movement just do not care matter of time . space is not logically prior to and independent of the material existence of the container. He believes that the material is logically prior to the existence of space, and arranged in space, the space is just a relationship, in addition no space exists. Thus Leibniz that Newton's theory of absolute space does not exist, an object can only change their relative position with another object, it can not change its position in absolute space, because space is non- , in addition to the position relationship between objects, there is no absolute frame of reference on, that there is no so-called absolute space itself. the time too, in addition to the relationship between events, but it does not, it does not exist absolute time. as opposed to absolute space and absolute time, Leibniz against Newton's theory of natural that the concept of absolute motion. with his concept of space relative to the corresponding, in his view, movement of an object, but only the position relative to another object change, therefore, exercise is not a absolute thing, it only exists in the relationship. that is, that relying on the fixed background of absolute space above the absolute motion simply does not exist, the inevitable and the movement of any object Other sports-related objects. and more associated with these ideas, Leibniz naturally deny the existence of the void, because he is opposed to atomistic, and he can either be filled that space can be empty of this concept can not be acceptable.


3 Leibniz study of the modern value of vacuum

School for the existence of vacuum Torricelli, Pascal and others in the series of scientific experiments, Leibniz also tried from more scientific point of view and the "physical vacuum" to deny the vacuum side. He pointed out that the Torricelli experiment mercury column in the glass tube in the period Square is simply not a vacuum, there is nothing but ruled out coarse material, but still full of fine material, such as light can still enter the inside. Thus, he finds that the vacuum which is not because the light is matter. Leibniz also made a vivid metaphor for this. He said that the container is like a box full of pores, put it in the water, box fish and other gross stuff to remove those thick things, this box it is still full of water. Leibniz actually popular here is to explain the Cartesian model of the universe is full of ether. Thus, Leibniz that the empty space However, an imagination.

Physical Revolution in the early 20th century, people began to re-examine the vacuum, Einstein and Dirac were based on relativity and quantum mechanics were studied in vacuum, that vacuum is Einstein's "general relativity the ether"; and Dirac to vacuum as a "quantum field the ground state." Thus, these two masters of the 20th century to the modern vacuum physics laid a "vacuum is not empty" The basic conclusion that framework. In fact, whether in the Einstein or In Di Lake, where the vacuum as the universe are the background. We should say that Leibniz's view of the above today's perspective on the vacuum to some extent correct, it is with modern Einstein and Dirac the vacuum as the background of the theory of the universe coincide, is indeed a genius of speculation. but because of inadequate empirical study of Leibniz, Newton school of Leibniz deep disapproval of the above argument, and therefore can not change Newton School on vacuum point of view. However, Leibniz's concept of relative time and space and research results on the vacuum to get rid of the 20th century revolution in physics, Newton's absolute space and time to provide the ideological resources. In addition, he and Newton school debate on the issue related to the vacuum , it is also extensively involved in some very important modern scientific concepts, such as atoms, ether, gravity, and the material is actually left for future generations is extremely valuable intellectual heritage, the history of scientific thought and wrote brilliant page. Links to Research Papers Download http://www.hi138.com, of course, Einstein and Dirac's concept of the vacuum is a "physical vacuum" level, but then go thin kind of thing, Einstein is "the classic vacuum ", Dirac's a" quantum vacuum. "Thus, like any other" physical vacuum "concept, as they can get out like importune" philosophical vacuum "ask: Since the vacuum is empty, that is, No, that how can the concept of a vacuum? that background that the universe is vacuum it? vacuum cosmic background in the end is what?, of course, against those who may ask: What is not a vacuum, but nothing on the real thing through to determine not exist? actually kind of problem related to the vacuum of the ancient Greek Parmenides Eleatic School presented his report on the "existence" and "non-existence" when the existence of the doctrine, only in the expression of different generations way. And on the issue of the vacuum will continue (and even may never be) as Leibniz and Newton school debate is a scientific question, as the metaphysical issues intertwined with the unique field. because if that vacuum loved Einstein and Dirac identified as the cosmic background and Si Yi no longer a problem is resolved, then, human reason is bound to ask again like "nothing" mechanism of the universe as well as that the universe was born "singularity" what it is. This the problem is actually another version of the vacuum.


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