What does Newton mean when he said "Space is the sensorium of God"?
Leibniz's First Letter and Clarke's First Reply
Leibniz: "Sir Isaac Newton says that space is an organ which God makes use of to perceive things by."
Clarke: "Sir Isaac Newton does not say that space is an organ which God makes use of to perceive things by,"
What, then, does Newton say, and how does Clarke defend Newton? Read very carefully what Clarke says!
Is this defence of Newton satisfactory? Granting that it is a "similitude", however, Clarke's answer does not mention "space" at all. How does the notion of space fit into this similitude?
Last modified, April 13, 2005. (c) Soshichi Uchii