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27. Natural Reality / C. Space / 4. Substantival Space

[space that exists in its own right]

16 ideas
If everything has a place, this causes an infinite regress, because each place must have place [Aristotle]
The universe as a whole is not anywhere [Aristotle]
Space must exist, since movement is obvious, and there must be somewhere to move in [Epicurus]
Absolute space is independent, homogeneous and immovable [Newton]
The idea that the universe could be moved forward with no other change is just a fantasy [Leibniz]
So-called 'empty' space is the carrier of geometry and kinematics [Heisenberg]
Absolute space either provides locations, or exists but lacks 'marks' for locations [Alexander,P]
Empty space is measurable in ways in which empty time necessarily is not [Bennett, by Shoemaker]
Both philosophy and physics now make substantivalism more attractive [Field,H]
Measuring space requires no movement while I do it [Scruton]
General Relativity allows substantivalism about space-time - that it has independent properties [Hoefer]
Absolute space explains actual and potential positions, and geometrical truths [Le Poidevin]
Space has real betweenness and congruence structure (though it is not the Euclidean concepts) [Sider]
Space and its contents seem to be one stuff - so space is the only existing thing [Wolfram]
The Higgs field means even low energy space is not empty [New Sci.]
The world is just particles plus fields; space is the gravitational field [Rovelli]