Knowledge (XXG)

Extension (metaphysics)

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112:
If we say with Descartes that extension is body, do we not manifestly offer a path to Atheism, both because extension is not a creature but has existed eternally, and because we have an absolute Idea of it without any relationship to God, and therefore we are able to conceive of it as existent while
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as for instance is plain from this, that they would easily concede extension to be a substance like a body if only it could move and could exercise the actions of a body; and on the other hand, they would by no means concede a body to be a substance if it neither could move nor arouse any sensation
107:" (a reference to atomism), all of which he repudiates. Instead he proposes that extension "has a certain mode of existence of its own, which agrees neither with substances nor accidents." After struggling with this question, Newton provides perhaps one of the clearest definitions of extension 39:' spear analogy for the infinity of space. How far can one's hand or spear stretch out until it reaches the edge of reality? "If I arrived at the outermost edge of the heaven, could I extend my hand or staff into what is outside or not? It would be paradoxical not to be able to extend it." 187:
refers to the idea that extension, or quantity, when divided and further divided infinitely, cannot reach the point of zero quantity. It can be divided into very small or negligible quantity but not zero or no quantity at all. Using a mathematical approach, specifically geometric models,
168:, who says that substance (that which has extension) can be limited only by substance of the same sort, i.e. matter cannot be limited by ideas and vice versa. From this principle, he determines that substance is infinite. This infinite substance is what Spinoza calls 192:
and Descartes discussed the infinite divisibility of extension. Actual divisibility may be limited due to unavailability of cutting instruments, but its possibility of breaking into smaller pieces is infinite.
143:, defined extension as "only the Space that lies between the Extremities of those solid coherent Parts" of a body. It is the space possessed by a body. Locke refers to the extension in conjunction with 91:
turns to the question of what the nature of the "immobile being"—space or extension itself, distinguished from body—was. He raises three possible definitions for extension: as a kind of
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that of anything whatsoever; but extension does not require a subject in which it "inheres", as a property; and it can be conceived as existent without presupposing any
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philosophers, is impossible; according to this view, only spirits or spiritualized matter can occupy a place occupied already by an entity (matter or spirit)
139: 228:." This has opened a wide channel of new research at the nexus of epistemology, philosophy of mind, cognitive and neuro-science, dynamic 371: 366: 28:) as well as later 'taking up space', and most recently, spreading one's internal mental cognition into the external world. 294: 55:
defined extension as the property of existing in more than one dimension, a property that was later followed up in
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which lead Stein to conclude Newton's conception of Space, the existence of space, or extension,
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refers to two or more extensions occupying the same space at the same time. This, according to
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thing, God included. On the other hand, it is an "affection of every being."
176:, and it possesses both unlimited extension and unlimited consciousness. 145: 36: 72: 173: 60: 87:
After rejecting Cartesian identification of body with extension,
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Extension also plays an important part in the philosophy of
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Newton's metaphysics: The Cambridge Companion to Newton
103:: anything that can be predicated of substance); or " 346:An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Volume 1 326:An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Volume 1 232:, science, technology & innovation studies. 109: 59:. For Descartes, the primary characteristic of 156:the other primary characteristics of matter. 8: 67:), just as the primary characteristic of 24:signifies both 'stretching out' (Latin: 284: 282: 280: 263: 140:An Essay Concerning Human Understanding 7: 308:or perception in any mind whatever. 99:(a standard philosophical term for 272:The Fragments of the Pre-Socratics 216:In more recent work, philosophers 113:feigning the non-existence of God? 14: 57:Grassmann's n-dimensional algebra 35:can be traced back at least to 31:The history of thinking about 1: 349:. B. Smith. pp. 131–132. 303:10.1017/cco9781139058568.010 388: 295:Cambridge University Press 329:. B. Smith. p. 131. 372:Metaphysical properties 367:Metaphysics of science 289:Stein, Howard (2016). 116: 185:Infinite divisibility 180:Infinite divisibility 212:Extended mind thesis 224:in 1998 published " 95:; or as a kind of 274:, Archytas, A 24. 226:The Extended Mind 190:Gottfried Leibniz 379: 351: 350: 337: 331: 330: 317: 311: 310: 286: 275: 268: 230:systems thinking 172:, or better yet 387: 386: 382: 381: 380: 378: 377: 376: 357: 356: 355: 354: 339: 338: 334: 319: 318: 314: 297:. p. 333. 288: 287: 278: 269: 265: 260: 252:Higgs mechanism 247:Mass generation 238: 214: 199: 182: 162: 152:impenetrability 132: 85: 50: 45: 12: 11: 5: 385: 383: 375: 374: 369: 359: 358: 353: 352: 332: 312: 276: 262: 261: 259: 256: 255: 254: 249: 244: 237: 234: 218:David Chalmers 213: 210: 202:Compenetration 198: 197:Compenetration 195: 181: 178: 166:Baruch Spinoza 161: 158: 131: 128: 105:simply nothing 84: 81: 63:is extension ( 53:René Descartes 49: 46: 44: 41: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 384: 373: 370: 368: 365: 364: 362: 348: 347: 342: 336: 333: 328: 327: 322: 316: 313: 309: 304: 300: 296: 292: 285: 283: 281: 277: 273: 270:Diels-Kranz, 267: 264: 257: 253: 250: 248: 245: 243: 240: 239: 235: 233: 231: 227: 223: 219: 211: 209: 207: 203: 196: 194: 191: 186: 179: 177: 175: 171: 167: 159: 157: 155: 153: 148: 147: 142: 141: 136: 129: 127: 125: 121: 115: 114: 108: 106: 102: 98: 94: 90: 82: 80: 78: 74: 70: 66: 62: 58: 54: 47: 42: 40: 38: 34: 29: 27: 23: 19: 345: 335: 325: 315: 306: 290: 271: 266: 215: 201: 200: 184: 183: 163: 150: 144: 138: 133: 123: 120:follows from 119: 117: 111: 110: 104: 100: 96: 92: 86: 77:res cogitans 76: 64: 51: 32: 30: 25: 21: 15: 341:Locke, John 321:Locke, John 65:res extensa 18:metaphysics 361:Categories 258:References 222:Andy Clark 206:scholastic 135:John Locke 124:particular 101:attribute 93:substance 48:Descartes 33:extension 22:extension 343:(1816). 323:(1816). 236:See also 146:solidity 97:accident 37:Archytas 26:extensio 160:Spinoza 73:thought 43:History 174:nature 89:Newton 83:Newton 61:matter 137:, in 130:Locke 242:Mass 220:and 149:and 69:mind 299:doi 170:God 79:). 71:is 16:In 363:: 305:. 293:. 279:^ 20:, 301:: 154:, 75:(

Index

metaphysics
Archytas
René Descartes
Grassmann's n-dimensional algebra
matter
mind
thought
Newton
John Locke
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
solidity
impenetrability
Baruch Spinoza
God
nature
Gottfried Leibniz
scholastic
David Chalmers
Andy Clark
The Extended Mind
systems thinking
Mass
Mass generation
Higgs mechanism



Cambridge University Press
doi
10.1017/cco9781139058568.010

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