Euclid's Heritage. Is Space Three-Dimensional? (Paperback, Softcover reprint of hardcover 1st ed. 1993)

We live in a space, we get about in it. We also quantify it, we think of it as having dimensions. Ever since Euclid's ancient geometry, we have thought of bodies occupying parts of this space (including our own bodies), the space of our practical orientations (our 'moving abouts'), as having three dimensions. Bodies have volume specified by measures of length, breadth and height. But how do we know that the space we live in has just these three dimensions? It is theoreti cally possible that some spaces might exist that are not correctly described by Euclidean geometry. After all, there are the non Euclidian geometries, descriptions of spaces not conforming to the axioms and theorems of Euclid's geometry. As one might expect, there is a history of philosophers' attempts to 'prove' that space is three-dimensional. The present volume surveys these attempts from Aristotle, through Leibniz and Kant, to more recent philosophy. As you will learn, the historical theories are rife with terminology, with language, already tainted by the as sumed, but by no means obvious, clarity of terms like 'dimension', 'line', 'point' and others. Prior to that language there are actions, ways of getting around in the world, building things, being interested in things, in the more specific case of dimensionality, cutting things. It is to these actions that we must eventually appeal if we are to understand how science is grounded."

General

Imprint:	Springer
Country of origin:	Netherlands
Series:	The Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science, 52
Release date:	October 2010
First published:	1992
Translators:	David Zook
Authors:	P Janich
Dimensions:	223 x 152 x 13mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	231
Edition:	Softcover reprint of hardcover 1st ed. 1993
ISBN-13:	978-90-481-4217-0
Categories:	Books > Science & Mathematics > Mathematics > History of mathematics Books > Science & Mathematics > Science: general issues > Philosophy of science Books > Humanities > Philosophy > Topics in philosophy > Epistemology, theory of knowledge Books > Science & Mathematics > Mathematics > Geometry > General Books > Philosophy > Topics in philosophy > Epistemology, theory of knowledge
LSN:	90-481-4217-2
Barcode:	9789048142170

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