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Questions tagged [space]

53 questions
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Can we fit non-euclidean geometry into Kant's theory?

If one assumes that the geometry of pure intuition is something other than Euclidean, how does that damage anything in the Critique? I mean can we still have a grasp of space-time both as an intuition and as an objective thing, to continue his way…
Farhad Rouhbakhsh
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Is 4D space metaphysically possible?

It is often said humans can't imagine 4D space due to limitations of our mind, but is this really the case or is 4D (and other n-dimensions greater than 3) truly metaphysically impossible, meaning that a universe could not exist with 4D space. The…
user289980
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What was Kant's argument for absolute space from a single hand being necessarily either left or right?

In their book "Von Glückzahl bis Geheimzahl" Christian Hesse and Karsten Schwanke write: As far as the absoluteness of space is concerned, Kant gave the so-called argument from the first piece of creation for this. He fictitiously assumes that the…
vonjd
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Limitless Space

I know many talked about this, however I am not a professional philosopher, rather a mathematician. In mathematics we have the concept of infinity, so we speak about infinitely big things, we compare them, we label and order different kind of…
Euler_Salter
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Does Euclidean geometry implicitly assume an observer?

Let's consider a point particle at rest in space relative to an observer. Without a coordinate system, the observer can still determine that the particle occupies a specific point in space. However, for an observer who is moving relative to the…
armoredchihuahua
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Why did Kant say space and time do not exist independent of us?

As far as I know, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) believed that space and time do not exist objectively, independent of us, and that they are added by our minds to our perceptions. I am eager to know what his argument/justification was for this claim.…
apadana
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The location of a single object in empty space

Is it correct to assume that if there is only one object in the void (really empty void), then its location (the answer to the question “where” this object is) cannot be established? You need at least two objects to be able to tell where each one…
ggk hj
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Is space experienced?

Space doesn't have a taste, a smell, a sound or a "shape". Anything we experience and think seem to require it. It doesn't have any experiential property whatsoever, but we still normally refer to it as "perceived". In fact it seems to be the…
urhen
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Could reality be a projection of another reality?

I'm new to metaphysics. So, I apologize if this is an established question. I've been asking the question, could reality be a projection of another reality? In geometry, you can project a three dimensional object onto a two dimensional plane. You…
Abby Spurdle
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Is "infinity" simply an accident of brains/turing machines?

As far as I know, no actual "infinity" exists in the universe. For example, the age of the observable universe is thought to be 10 - 15 billion years, while its size seems to be about 93 billion light years. So a theory that comes to mind is that…
Fox Mulder
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Newton and Kant about 'Absolute Space'

Newton starts his book The Mathematical Principals of Natural Philosophy, 1687 II. Absolute space, in its own nature, without regard to anything external, remains always similar and immovable. Kant starts his book The Metaphysical Foundations…
Jo Wehler
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Zeno's stadium paradox: If space is not continuous or discrete, what is it?

Zeno's paradoxes are paradoxical because they show that in a world of continuous time and space, there cannot be any motion, thus all motion that we see are some kind of illusion. His paradoxes then rely on the infinite divisibility of real numbers…
Weezy
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Architectural Philosophy

I am an architecture student who wants to be more than just friends with philosophy. I am looking for something that narrates forms and spaces very well. It could be metaphoric to human behavior like explaining human weakness and strengths though…
Tousif Isla
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Can something sensible be said about a world of complete nothingness?

One thought that keeps me up at night is when I start to think about the world "before" the universe existed and "beyond" the universe itself. I know that it doesn't really make sense to speak about "before time" and "beyond space" but still... I…
vonjd
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Is space fundamental?

Let's start with a definition of space, like "Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions" If we delve deeper into such definitions, we come across terms like 'points','vectors',etc. And then if we go further into…
Siddharth Chakravarty
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