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The Relativity of Motion as a Motivation for...
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The Relativity of Motion as a Motivation for Leibnizian Substantial Forms

Abstract

Richard Arthur (McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada), in Substantial forms, points of view, and the relativity of motion, argues that one of Leibniz’s motivations for reintroducing substantial forms was to save the reality of motion. Already in 1676 Leibniz had established that motion, understood geometrically (i.e. as change of situation), is merely relative, and therefore a pure phenomenon or appearance. True motions, on the other hand, according to Leibniz, are identifiable by reference to their causes, and these are determined by appeal to the most intelligible hypothesis for understanding the phenomena. Arthur argues that the introduction of substantial forms, reinterpreted as enduring primitive forces of action in each corporeal substance, allows Leibniz to found the reality of the phenomena of motion in force, and thus avoid reducing motion to a mere appearance. Arthur argues that the entelechies of Leibniz’s mature philosophy continue to serve this same function, in opposition to the view that his middle-period realism gave way to an idealist stance on motion.

Authors

Arthur RTW

Series

The New Synthese Historical Library

Volume

74

Pagination

pp. 143-160

Publisher

Springer Nature

Publication Date

January 1, 2015

DOI

10.1007/978-94-017-9956-0_10

Conference proceedings

The New Synthese Historical Library

ISSN

1879-8578
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