Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 The pre-history of classical dynamics
- Chapter 3 The astronomical revolution
- Chapter 4 Precursors to Newtonian dynamics
- Chapter 5 The Newtonian synthesis
- Chapter 6 Philosophical aspects of the Newtonian synthesis
- Chapter 7 The history of statics
- Chapter 8 The development of dynamics after Newton
- Chapter 9 The “Newtonian” approach after Newton
- Chapter 10 From virtual work to Lagrange's equation
- Chapter 11 Extremal principles
- Chapter 12 Some philosophical reflections on explanation and theory
- Chapter 13 Conservation principles
- Chapter 14 Hamilton's equations
- Chapter 15 Canonical transformations, optical analogies and algebraic structures
- Chapter 16 The search for new foundations
- Chapter 17 New directions in the applications of dynamics
- Chapter 18 Spacetime formulations of Newtonian dynamics
- Chapter 19 Formalization: mass and force
- Chapter 20 Relationist dynamics
- Chapter 21 Modes of explanation
- Chapter 22 Retrospective and conclusions
- References
- Index
Chapter 18 - Spacetime formulations of Newtonian dynamics
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 December 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 The pre-history of classical dynamics
- Chapter 3 The astronomical revolution
- Chapter 4 Precursors to Newtonian dynamics
- Chapter 5 The Newtonian synthesis
- Chapter 6 Philosophical aspects of the Newtonian synthesis
- Chapter 7 The history of statics
- Chapter 8 The development of dynamics after Newton
- Chapter 9 The “Newtonian” approach after Newton
- Chapter 10 From virtual work to Lagrange's equation
- Chapter 11 Extremal principles
- Chapter 12 Some philosophical reflections on explanation and theory
- Chapter 13 Conservation principles
- Chapter 14 Hamilton's equations
- Chapter 15 Canonical transformations, optical analogies and algebraic structures
- Chapter 16 The search for new foundations
- Chapter 17 New directions in the applications of dynamics
- Chapter 18 Spacetime formulations of Newtonian dynamics
- Chapter 19 Formalization: mass and force
- Chapter 20 Relationist dynamics
- Chapter 21 Modes of explanation
- Chapter 22 Retrospective and conclusions
- References
- Index
Summary
The theory this book is exploring, Newtonian dynamics, is, of course, a false theory of the world. Several scientific revolutions have shown us that it must be replaced as our fundamental theory of motion and its causes.
The special theory of relativity rejects even the basic kinematics of the Newtonian account. Even at the level of the very description of motion, at the level of our construal of the spatial and temporal structure of the world, the Newtonian account is rejected. At the level of dynamics, the level at which the causes of changes of motion are explored, the theory, once again, replaces the Newtonian account with a novel theoretical structure. The general theory of relativity proposes even further, highly dramatic, changes in our very notions of space and time. Its most direct contact with the Newtonian picture of the world is to replace Newton's famous account of the origin, nature and effects of gravitational force with a new account of the gravitational interaction of the material of the world.
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- Chapter
- Information
- Philosophy and the Foundations of Dynamics , pp. 201 - 213Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2012