What is the meaning of 'relative' and 'apparent' in Newton's concept of time?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the interpretation of the terms 'relative' and 'apparent' as used by Newton in his work "Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica." Participants explore the implications of these adjectives in the context of Newton's distinction between absolute time and time as measured by external means.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Historical

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that 'relative' refers to the variability in precision of different instruments used to measure time, suggesting that these measurements are not absolute but contingent on the measuring device.
  • Others argue that 'apparent' indicates that these measurements do not represent true mathematical time but serve as proxies for it, implying a distinction between observed time and the ideal concept of time.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about the relevance of the discussion, suggesting that the concepts are largely of historical interest and that the document's ideas have been largely abandoned.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the significance and interpretation of the terms 'relative' and 'apparent.' There is no consensus on their meanings, and the discussion remains unresolved regarding their implications in Newton's context.

Contextual Notes

The discussion may be limited by the historical context of Newton's work and the potential challenges in translating and interpreting older texts. Participants acknowledge that the concepts may not align with contemporary understandings of time.

Aleoa
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In the masterpiece "Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica" , Newton says:

"Absolute, true, and mathematical time, of itself, and from its own nature, flows equably without relation to anything external, and by another name is called duration: relative, apparent, and common time, is some sensible and external (whether accurate or unequable) measure of duration by the means of motion, which is commonly used instead of true time"

All this sentence seems clear to me, except the two adjective: relative and apparent. For you, what's is the meaning the Newton gives to this two adjectives in this context ?
 
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He seems to be intending to distinguish ”mathematical time” and actual time measurements that act as observational placeholders. They would be relative in the sense that the precision of different instruments in finding a number corresponding to mathematical time might differ and apparent in that they are not actually the mathematical time but being used as a proxy.
 
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Aleoa said:
All this sentence seems clear to me, except the two adjective: relative and apparent. For you, what's is the meaning the Newton gives to this two adjectives in this context ?
I wouldn’t spend too much effort on this. It is a translation of a very out of date document describing a concept that has been largely abandoned. It is only of historical interest.
 
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Orodruin said:
He seems to be intending to distinguish ”mathematical time” and actual time measurements that act as observational placeholders. They would be relative in the sense that the precision of different instruments in finding a number corresponding to mathematical time might differ and apparent in that they are not actually the mathematical time but being used as a proxy.

Thanks. And the term "apparent" ?
 

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