In
metaphysics
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the basic structure of reality. It is traditionally seen as the study of mind-independent features of the world, but some theorists view it as an inquiry into the conceptual framework of ...
, impenetrability is the name given to that quality of
matter
In classical physics and general chemistry, matter is any substance that has mass and takes up space by having volume. All everyday objects that can be touched are ultimately composed of atoms, which are made up of interacting subatomic pa ...
whereby two bodies cannot occupy the same space at the same time. The philosopher
John Toland argued that impenetrability and
extension were sufficient to define matter, a contention strongly disputed by
Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz.
Locke considered impenetrability to be "more a consequence of
solidity, than solidity itself."
See also
* Locke's views on
extension
*
Interpenetration (disambiguation)
Notes
References
*
* Heinemann, F. H. "Toland and Leibniz." ''The Philosophical Review'', Vol. 54, No. 5. (September, 1945), pp. 437–457.
Metaphysical properties
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
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