Compare among Leibniz’s, Kant’s and Newton’s understanding of Space-Time.

Leibniz, Kant, and Newton had distinctive views on the nature of space and time, contributing significantly to the philosophical discourse on these fundamental concepts.

Leibniz:
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz proposed a relational theory of space and time. He argued that space and time were not absolute entities but were rather relational and dependent on the existence of objects. Leibniz rejected the idea of empty space, asserting that space only had meaning in relation to the objects within it. Similarly, he contended that time was a product of the succession of events and had no independent existence. Leibniz's monadology emphasized a harmonious, pre-established order in the universe, where space and time were derivative from the relationships between individual monads.

Kant:
Immanuel Kant, in his critical philosophy, presented a synthetic a priori account of space and time. According to Kant, space and time are not derived from experience but are fundamental categories through which human minds organize and perceive sensory information. They are inherent forms of intuition that structure our experience of the external world. Kant distinguished between empirical space and time, which are measurable and observable, and transcendental space and time, which are the a priori conditions for the possibility of experience. Kant's conceptualization of space and time as subjective and necessary aspects of human cognition influenced subsequent philosophical and scientific developments.

Newton:
Isaac Newton, on the other hand, formulated a more empirical and absolute understanding of space and time. In his "Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica," Newton posited that space and time were absolute and independent entities that existed objectively, irrespective of the presence of matter. Newtonian physics operated within an absolute framework of space and time, providing a fixed backdrop against which the motion and interactions of physical bodies could be described. This absolute conception of space and time served as a foundational framework for classical mechanics.

Comparison:
Leibniz, Kant, and Newton differed fundamentally in their perspectives on space and time. Leibniz emphasized a relational and dependent nature, with space and time being contingent upon the existence and relationships of objects. Kant, while acknowledging the subjectivity of space and time, posited them as universal and necessary frameworks of human experience. Newton, in contrast, treated space and time as absolute and independent entities, providing an external, unchanging framework for the physical world.

While Leibniz's relational view and Kant's transcendental idealism marked departures from Newtonian absolutism, all three philosophers significantly influenced subsequent philosophical and scientific discussions on the nature of space and time. The debates initiated by these thinkers continue to shape contemporary discussions in physics and philosophy, particularly in the context of relativity theory and quantum mechanics.