Spatial Thinking and External Representation

Matthias Schemmel

TY  - BOOK
T1  - Spatial Thinking and External Representation: Towards a Historical Epistemology of Space
A1  - Matthias Schemmel
AB  - Spatial knowledge takes different forms in different societies and at different times in history depending on the spatial experiences accounted for and the available means for the external representation of knowledge. The volume presents and analyses manifestations of spatial thinking in the language and practices of recent non-literate societies, in the administrative institutions of early civilizations, in discursive contexts of ancient Greece and China, in early modern natural philosophy and metaphysics, and in twentieth-century physics, and discusses their historical and structural relations.
PB  - Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften
PY  - 2016
SN  - 978-3-945561-08-9
L1  - https://mprl-series.mpg.de/media/studies/8/Studies8.pdf
LK  - https://mprl-series.mpg.de/studies/8/index.html
C1  - by-nc-sa
DO  - 10.34663/9783945561089-00
LA  - en
ER  -

Studies 8

Spatial Thinking and External Representation

Towards a Historical Epistemology of Space

Matthias Schemmel (ed.)

Results of the TOPOI working group on the historical epistemology of space

READ ONLINE PDF EPUB

This publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Germany (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 DE) Licence.

Results of the TOPOI working group on the historical epistemology of space

ONLINE PDF EPUB

This publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Germany (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 DE) Licence.

Spatial knowledge takes different forms in different societies and at different times in history depending on the spatial experiences accounted for and the available means for the external representation of knowledge. The volume presents and analyses manifestations of spatial thinking in the language and practices of recent non-literate societies, in the administrative institutions of early civilizations, in discursive contexts of ancient Greece and China, in early modern natural philosophy and metaphysics, and in twentieth-century physics, and discusses their historical and structural relations.

Preface

1 Towards a Historical Epistemology of Space: An Introduction
Matthias Schemmel

2 Spatial Concepts in Non-Literate Societies: Language and Practice in Eipo and Dene Chipewyan
Martin Thiering, Wulf Schiefenhövel

3 The Impact of Notation Systems: From the Practical Knowledge of Surveyors to Babylonian Geometry
Peter Damerow

4 Theoretical Reflections on Elementary Actions and Instrumental Practices: The Example of the Mohist Canon
William G. Boltz, Matthias Schemmel

5 Cosmology and Epistemology: A Comparison between Aristotle’s and Ptolemy’s Approaches to Geocentrism
Pietro Daniel Omodeo, Irina Tupikova

6 Space and Matter in Early Modern Science: The Impenetrability of Matter
Peter Damerow

7 Experience and Representation in Modern Physics: The Reshaping of Space
Alexander Blum, Jürgen Renn, Matthias Schemmel

Show All

A

Abraham, Max

1
2

absolute

Aristotelian cosmology and physics

Aristotelian-Ptolemaic cosmology

1
2
3

Aristotelianism

1
2
3

Aristotle

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

his distinction of three speculative disciplines

1

his theory of change

1

‘Categories’

1

‘De caelo’

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

‘Metaphysics’

1

‘Physics’

1
2
3
4
5

assimilation

1
2

astrophysics

1

Athapaskan

1
2
3
4
5

atomism

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

Averroes (Ibn Rushd)

1
2
3

B

Bellarmin, Robert

1
2

Benedetti, Giovan Battista

1

Boas, Franz

1
2
3

Bruno, Giordano

1
2
3
4

C

causal explanation

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

China

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Clarke, Samuel

1

cognitive mapping

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

compass

and straight edge

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

magnetic

1
2

conatus

1

conservation

of energy and momentum

1
2
3

of quantity of matter

1

of size and shape

1
2

container model of space

1

continuity of object trajectories

1

conventionalism

1
2

coordinates

1

geographical

1

linguistic

1
2
3
4

their role in field theory

1

their role in quantum mechanics

1

Copernican

revolution

1
2

system

1
2

tables

1
2

Copernicus, Nicolaus

1

‘De revolutionibus’

1
2
3
4

cosmological constant

1

cosmology

Chinese

1

Greek

1
2

Plato’s

1

as a theory of the world as a whole

1

classical

1
2
3

its relation to physics

1
2

modern

1
2

of the Pythagoreans

1
2
3
4
5
6

quantum

1

D

dead reckoning

1
2
3

Democritus

1
2
3
4

Dene Chipewyan (Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

dependency of the effort on the path taken

1
2
3

Descartes, René

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

‘Principles of Philosophy’

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

‘The World’

1

detour

1

diagrams

1
2
3
4

dichotomy of movable and unmovable objects

1
2

dichotomy of object and space

1
2
3
4

disciplinary structure of knowledge

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

distance

Euclidean

1

in Dene Chipewyan

1

in Eipo

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

in Hopi

1

division

arithmetic

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

of labor

1
2
3

of land

1
2
3

physical

1
2
3

drawing

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Duhem, Pierre

1

E

Egypt

1
2
3
4

Einstein field equation

1
2

Einstein, Albert

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Eipo (central highlands of West New Guinea)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

electrodynamics

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

electromagnetic

field

1
2

radiation

1
2
3
4

worldview

1

equation of motion in the inertio-gravitational field

1

equivalence principle

1
2
3
4
5

ether

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Euclid

‘Elements’

1
2
3

‘Phaenomena’

1
2

Euclidean

space

1
2
3

Euler, Leonhard

1
2
3

evolutionary epistemology

1

Ewe, south-eastern Ghana

1

F

field

concept

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

equation

1
2
3

field theory

of gravitation

1
2
3
4
5

figure-ground asymmetry

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Fizeau, Hippolyte (experiment measuring the index of refraction in moving media)

1
2

Fracastoro, Girolamo

1
2

frames of reference

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

free fall

1

Fresnel coefficient

1
2
3

Fresnel, Augustin

1
2

G

Galilean transformations

1

Galilei, Galileo

1
2
3

‘Dialogo sopra i due massimi sistemi del mondo’

1

Galileo affair

1

Gauss, Carl Friedrich

1

general relativity

genetic epistemology

1

geographical knowledge

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

geometry

Babylonian

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Euclidean

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

differential

1

dynamic

1
2

non-Euclidean

1
2
3
4
5
6

pseudo-Euclidean

1
2

Gipper, Helmut

1

gnomon

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

gravitation

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

law of

1

theory of

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

gravitational

center

1
2
3
4
5

force

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

waves

1

Greece

1
2
3
4
5
6

Grosseteste, Robert

1

H

habitus

1

Heaviside, Oliver

1

Hertz, Heinrich

1
2

Hilbert space

1
2

Hipparchus of Nicaea

1

homogeneity of space

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Hopi (Arizona, USA)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

house building, Eipo

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

I

Ibn Rushd

1
2
3

impetus

1
2

India

1

inertia

law of

1
2

inertial system

1

inertio-gravitational field

1
2
3
4
5
6

infinity of space

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

institutions

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

isotropy of space

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

K

Kant, Immanuel

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

‘Critique of Pure Reason’

1
2
3
4
5
6

‘Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science’

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

Kuhn, Thomas

1
2

L

landmarks

language

formalized

1

technical

1

Latin Middle Ages

1
2
3

Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm

1
2

Leibniz-Clarke correspondence

1

Leibnizian

mechanics

1

Leucippus

1
2
3
4

light

1

and electromagnetism

1

as a means of measuring space

1
2
3

bending

1

propagation, universal law of

1

rays

1
2
3
4

speed of

1
2

wave theory of

1

logic

1
2
3
4
5
6

logical positivism

1

Lorentz transformations

1

Lorentz, Hendrik Antoon

1

Lucretius

1

M

Mach, Ernst

1

Malotki, Ekkehart

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

maps (geographic)

1
2
3
4
5

Maxwell-Lorentz theory

1
2
3
4
5
6

Maxwell’s equations

1
2
3

measurement

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

in Eipo culture

1
2
3

in quantum mechanics

1
2
3

of fields

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

measuring rods

mechanics

1
2
3
4

Euler’s

1
2

Hertz’s

1

Leibnizian

1

analytical

1

celestial

1
2
3

classical

mental model

1 of large-scale space

of object

1
2
3
4
5

Mesoamerica

1

Mesopotamia

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

metaphysics

metric tensor

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Michelson-Morley experiment

1
2
3

microscope

1

Minkowski

formalism

1
2
3

spacetime

1
2

Minkowski, Hermann

1

‘Mohist Canon’

1
2
3
4
5
6

mythology

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

N

nativism

1

Navajo (south-western USA)

1
2
3
4

navigation

Micronesian

1
2

deep-sea

1
2

radio

1

Neolithic

1
2
3

Neoplatonism

1
2

Newton, Isaac

1
2
3
4

his atomism

1
2

his axioms

1
2
3

his bucket experiment

1

his concept of space

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

‘De gravitatione …’

1

‘Opticks’

1

‘Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica’

1
2

Newton-Cartan theory

1

Newtonian

dynamics

1
2

gravitation

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

physics

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

spacetime

1
2
3
4

Nordström, Gunnar

1
2
3
4
5
6

nothing

1
2
3

O

ontogenesis

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

Oresme, Nicole

1

Osiander, Andreas

1
2

P

Paleolithic

1

Parmenides

1

path-connectedness of space

1

perceptional space

1

perihelion motion

1

permanent object, schema or model of

1
2
3
4

perspective

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Philoponus, John

1

phylogenesis

1
2
3
4
5
6

Piaget, Jean

1
2
3
4
5

place

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

Aristotle’s concept of natural place

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

definiteness and exclusivity of

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

geographical

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

in Dene Chipewyan

1
2
3
4

in Eipo

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

in the ‘Mohist Canon’

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

philosophical concept of

1
2
3
4
5

sacred

1
2
3
4
5

planetary motion

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Plato

1
2
3
4
5

‘Timaeus’

1

Platonism

1

Poincaré, Henri

1
2

position-quality model of space

1

primates, nonhuman

1
2
3
4

projectile motion

1
2

proportionality of force and acceleration

1

Ptolemaic cosmology

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Ptolemy, Claudius

1
2
3
4
5
6

‘Almagest’

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Pythagoreanism

1
2

Q

quantum

electrodynamics

1

field theory

1
2
3
4

gravity

1

mechanics

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

R

reflective abstraction

1
2
3

reflexivity, degree of

1

Reinhold, Erasmus

1

relativism, linguistic

1
2

relativity

of motion

1

principle

1
2
3

representational space

1

Rheticus, Georg Joachim

‘Narratio prima’

1

Riemann, Bernhard

1

Riemannian space

1
2

rigid body

1
2
3

Roman surveyors (agrimensores)

1

S

Sapir, Edward

1
2

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

1
2

sensorimotor behavior and intelligence

sexagesimal positional system of numerical notation

shared knowledge

short cut

1

Simplicius

1
2

Slavey (Great Slave Lake, Canada)

1
2
3
4

Snell’s law

1

social cognition

1
2

South-America

1

special relativity

spherical cosmos

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

sphericity of the Earth

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

stellar aberration

1

Sumerian

1
2

surveying

surveyors’ formula

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

symbol

systems

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

use

1
2

symbolic

function

1

notation

1
2
3
4
5

representation

T

three-dimensionality of space

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

topological

relations

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

toponyms

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

U

universality of gravitation

1
2
3
4

universals of cognition

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

V

vertical direction

1
2
3
4
5
6

void

W

Whorf, Benjamin Lee

1

wind directions

1
2
3
4
5
6

writing

Z

Zeno of Elea

1

Barbara Tversky, "Matthias Schemmel, ed. Spatial Thinking and External Representation: Towards a Historical Epistemology of Space.," Isis 109, no. 4 (December 2018): 826-827.

Information

ISBN

978-3-945561-08-9

DOI

10.34663/9783945561089-00

Pages

219

Publication Date

Nov. 11, 2016

Print on Demand

currently unavailable

Suggested Citation

Schemmel, Matthias (ed.) (2016). Spatial Thinking and External Representation: Towards a Historical Epistemology of Space. Berlin: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften.

Submitted by

Vincenzo de Risi

Spatial Thinking and External Representation

Towards a Historical Epistemology of Space

A

Abraham, Max

absolute

directions

forces

impenetrability

lack of extension

motion

space

standard of rest

accommodation

action at a distance

additivity of lengths

Akkadian

al-Bitruji

Alexandria, Museion of

Alpetragius (al-Bitruji)

Amico, Giovan Battista

Anaximander

angle

anthropocentrism

anthropogenesis

Arab Middle Ages

Aristotelian cosmology and physics

Aristotelian-Ptolemaic cosmology

Aristotelianism

Aristotle

his distinction of three speculative disciplines

his theory of change

‘Categories’

‘De caelo’

‘Metaphysics’

‘Physics’

assimilation

astrophysics

Athapaskan

atomism

Averroes (Ibn Rushd)

B

Bellarmin, Robert

Benedetti, Giovan Battista

Boas, Franz

Bruno, Giordano

C

causal explanation

China

Clarke, Samuel

cognitive mapping

compass

and straight edge

magnetic

conatus

conservation

of energy and momentum

of quantity of matter

of size and shape

container model of space

continuity of object trajectories

conventionalism

coordinates

geographical

linguistic

their role in field theory

their role in quantum mechanics

Copernican

revolution

system

tables

Copernicus, Nicolaus

‘De revolutionibus’

cosmological constant

cosmology

Chinese

Greek

Plato’s

as a theory of the world as a whole

classical

its relation to physics