Force in physics and in metaphysics
a brief history
pp. 199-231
in: Shyam Wuppuluri, Francisco A. Doria (eds), The map and the territory, Berlin, Springer, 2018Abstract
The concept of force can seem comparatively unproblematic—forces are responsible for making things move. However, the history of both physics and metaphysics reveals considerable controversy concerning both the nature of forces, and their very existence. My survey takes in the Greek atomists, Aristotelian physics, the "mechanical" philosophy of the scientific revolution, the innovations of Descartes and Newton, Hume-inspired skepticism, the dynamism of Leibniz, Kant and Boscovich, the field theories of Faraday and Maxwell, and the impact of Einstein's relativity theories and quantum mechanics. A recurring theme is the contrasting attitudes taken towards "action at a distance" causal influences by both philosophers and scientists.
