Lesson plan
Container space
The container theory of space is a metaphysical theory according to which space is a background against which objects rest and move, with the implication that it can continue to exist in the absence of matter. Its opposite is the relational theory. Isaac Newton favoured absolute time and space and the container theory, against Gottfried Leibniz who was a relationist. The subject was famously debated with Samuel Clarke in the Leibniz–Clarke correspondence. At first glance, the physical theory of relativity weighs in favour of relational space, but the general theory of relativity re-introduces some container-like features such as the possibility of completely empty universes. An absolute approach can also be applied to time, with, for instance, the implication that there might have been vast epochs of time before the first event.
Article summary
The container theory of space is a metaphysical theory according to which space is a background against which objects rest and move, with the implication that it can continue to exist in the absence of matter. Its opposite is the relational theory. Isaac Newton favoured absolute time and space and the container theory, against Gottfried Leibniz who was a relationist. The subject was famously debated with Samuel Clarke in the Leibniz–Clarke correspondence. At first glance, the physical theory of relativity weighs in favour of relational space, but the general theory of relativity re-introduces some container-like features such as the possibility of completely empty universes. An absolute approach can also be applied to time, with, for instance, the implication that there might have been vast epochs of time before the first event.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.