Note 140 — Chapter XXXVIII · THE METHODOLOGY OF SCIENCE (continued 2)

Thus, Euler, when discussing absolute space and time, writes: “What is the essence of space and time is not important; but what is important is whether they are required for the statement of the law of inertia. If this law can only be fully and clearly explained by introducing the ideas of absolute space and absolute time, then the necessity for these ideas can be taken as proved.” Again, Riemann, when discussing the possible non-Euclideanism of space, maintains a similar attitude. We read: “It is conceivable that the measure relations of space in the infinitesimal are not in accordance with the assumptions of our [Euclidean] geometry, and, in fact, we should have to assume that they are not, if, by doing so, we should ever be enabled to explain phenomena in a more simple way.”