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Leibniz on Relativity. The Debate between Hans Reichenbach and Dietrich Mahnke on Leibniz’s Theory of Motion and Time

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Abstract

One of the most significant episodes in the early-twentieth-century reception of Leibniz was the reading of his works on natural philosophy as an anticipation of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. In a way, such an interpretation might have been meant to uplift the fame of Leibniz as a scientist, which had been, it was said not without a touch of chauvinism, overshadowed for too long a time by the evershining Newtonian star; as well as to give evidence of the extraordinary forerunning talent of the philosopher, which had, as it was just then being discovered and believed, most clearly manifested itself not only in the edition of his logical work but also in many other fields of science; and even, perhaps, to burnish Einstein’s new-born theory through the authority of a highly reputed metaphysician of the past that could inaugurate it.

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  1. Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Boltzmannstraße 22, D-14195, Berlin, Germany

    Vincenzo De Risi

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  1. Ostlandstrasse 33, Siegen, 57080, Germany

    Ralf Krömer

  2. , Archives H. Poincaré, Université Nancy 2, Nancy cedex, 54015, France

    Yannick Chin-Drian

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De Risi, V. (2012). Leibniz on Relativity. The Debate between Hans Reichenbach and Dietrich Mahnke on Leibniz’s Theory of Motion and Time. In: Krömer, R., Chin-Drian, Y. (eds) New Essays on Leibniz Reception. Publications des Archives Henri Poincaré Publications of the Henri Poincaré Archives(). Springer, Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0346-0504-5_8

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