When Newton proposed his axioms describing fundamental laws of physics, he insisted on the necessity of absolute space to a completed theory of mechanics. Absolute space can be best described as not-relationally-dependent space. Newton purports that there is something more to space than just being a vessel to conceptualize positional differences between specific bodies; he claims that there is some objective truth to space -- that spatial differences are not dependent upon the matter contained within space. In his Principia, he states that the difference of relational and absolute space becomes manifest in the consideration of place, velocity, and acceleration. These considerations serve to metaphysically establish absolute space in themselves. However, Newton attempts to support the existence experimentally in his famous 'bucket experiment'. Through an explication of his reasoning and an analysis of his motivation, I intend to show that Newton's notion of space is, at best, incomplete.
Newton describes the difference between absolute and relative space in the scholium to definition eight in the Principia: "Absolute space...without relation to anything external, remains similar and immovable. Relative space is some movable dimension or measure of the absolute spaces" (152). His first relevant explication in the scholium is of place. Place is that which a body occupies in space. Absolute place differs from relative place in that it requires no relationship to any other body to be determined; it is determined by the construct of absolute space itself. Absolute motion, then, is the translation of a body from one absolute position to another. In the same trend, absolute velocity is constant absolute motion in time, and absolute acceleration is a change in absolute velocity in time.
With that clearly laid out, Newton has explicitly shown how absolute space is conceptually applied to mechanics. The validity of absolute space in itself still remains in question. These definitions of absolute mechanics are, in fact, used retroactively to validate the existence of absolute space. In using discussions of absolute place, velocity, and acceleration, Newton's proponents hope to show that there is a difference between these and their relational counterparts. There is an inherent flaw, though, in arguing for an independent, self-evident difference betwe...
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...of absolute space isn't of practical importance in physics. In our everydayness "instead of absolute places and motions, we use relative ones". It is only in "philosophical disquisitions we ought to abstract from our senses, and consider things themselves, distinct from what are only sensible measures of them" (155).
The reason why Newton insists on universal truth is to buttress his Faith in God. In fact, the idea of absolute space is completely manufactured around the presupposition that there is an observer who has ultimate knowledge of the truth of space. God has ultimate knowledge of everything, including spatial relations, thus what he knows is absolute space. The idea of absolute space is reactionary, rather than empirical. I don't think that it was necessarily intentional. However, it is easy to see how religion motivated an otherwise unfounded claim. He simply declares true motion requires absolute space, because there isn't adequate empirical rationale. Perhaps, he never looked for such a connection, because he just assumed it was there the entire time.
Work Cited
Alexander, H.G. The Leibniz-Clarke Correspondence. Manchester University Press; New York: 1998.
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