Do Things Move?Do Things Move?Spacetime and the Problem of Spacetime and the Problem of

Modern ScienceModern Science

Becoming and OrderBecoming and Order

BecomingBecoming: first insight of philosophy: everything : first insight of philosophy: everything changes into something else, or into everything changes into something else, or into everything elseelse

OrderOrder: second insight: the concept of change : second insight: the concept of change involves a involves a principle connecting the extremes of principle connecting the extremes of the change… something that does not change… the change… something that does not change… something that transcends what changessomething that transcends what changes

If not change… If not change… creationcreation Early Greek philosophyEarly Greek philosophy: search for the first : search for the first

principle(s) of changeprinciple(s) of change

Heraclitus Heraclitus Change means Change means not to benot to be: if I’m changing, : if I’m changing,

I’mI’m constantly constantly notnot what I am what I am If becoming is, nothing else is; rather, If becoming is, nothing else is; rather,

everything is constantly noteverything is constantly not BecomingBecoming is the only realityis the only reality

Parmenides vs. Heraclitus Parmenides vs. Heraclitus

What is cannot be not (principle of non What is cannot be not (principle of non contradiction): if I am, I cannot be notcontradiction): if I am, I cannot be not

Being isBeing is Becoming is just an appearanceBecoming is just an appearance ZenoZeno supports his master by elaborating supports his master by elaborating

the famous paradoxes on the impossibility the famous paradoxes on the impossibility of movement. Movement is impossible of movement. Movement is impossible because it involves to step forward because it involves to step forward through what does not exist…through what does not exist…

The Pluralistic Solution The Pluralistic Solution

Okay with Parmenides: what is does not Okay with Parmenides: what is does not changechange

Okay with Heraclitus: everything is Okay with Heraclitus: everything is constantly changingconstantly changing

Everything is composed of basic elements Everything is composed of basic elements interacting with each otherinteracting with each other

Pluralistic Solution’s ProblemsPluralistic Solution’s Problems

Only the elements Only the elements are; everything else are; everything else is just appearance… is just appearance… manifestation of themmanifestation of them

There is no meta-There is no meta-principle connecting principle connecting the elements with the elements with each other: they each other: they cannot interact; their cannot interact; their movement is not movement is not possiblepossible

Movement cannot be made possible by Movement cannot be made possible by dividing reality into smaller and smaller piecesdividing reality into smaller and smaller pieces

Aristotle’s SolutionAristotle’s Solution AnalogyAnalogy of being: ‘being’ is predicated of being: ‘being’ is predicated

neither univocally nor equivocallyneither univocally nor equivocally There is no contradiction between the ‘is’ There is no contradiction between the ‘is’

and the ‘is not’ of the changeand the ‘is not’ of the change A subject can ‘be’ (A subject can ‘be’ (actact) and ‘be not’ ) and ‘be not’

((potentialpotential) at the same time) at the same time Change makes actual what was potentialChange makes actual what was potential The substratum of the change is always The substratum of the change is always

continuouscontinuous (in the philosophical sense) (in the philosophical sense)

Accidental ChangeAccidental Change

ManMan

BabyBaby AdultAdultMoment Moment AA Moment Moment BB

In order to have a change something – the subject of the change – must remain the same

The accidental form changes

Is a baby in actIs an adult potentially Metaphysical unity

Motionless: if ‘being a baby’ moved with me, I would always remain a baby

Substantial ChangeSubstantial Change

First MatterFirst Matter

ManMan AshesAshesMoment Moment AA Moment Moment BB

The substantial form changes

Is a man in actIs ashes potentially Metaphysical unity

Motionless

Local MovementLocal Movement

SomethingSomething

HereHere ThereThereMoment Moment AA Moment Moment BB

Is here in actIs there potentially

Metaphysical unities:motionless

Motionless: if ‘here’ moved with me, I would always remain here

SpaceSpace

Motionless: if ‘there’ moved with me, I would never be there

Local movement requires a continuous material relation between more things. If there were only one thing there would be no local movement

Space and timeSpace and time

Here There

Before

After They don’t exist

Aristotle and Augustine on TimeAristotle and Augustine on Time

Time does not Time does not exist without the exist without the soulsoul

No part of time No part of time exists… though exists… though time is divisibletime is divisible

Even the “now” as a part of time does not exist. Time can be divided into “instants”—can be numbered—but the instant does not exist