World Enough and Space-Time

Earman introduces and clarifies the historical and philosophical development of the clash between Newton's absolute conception of space and Leibniz's relative one. He separates the issues and provides new perspectives on absolute versus rational accounts of motion and substantive versus rational accounts of the ontology of spacetime, revitalizing the connection of the debate to contemporary science. John Earman is Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh.