Impenetrability

Impenetrability

In metaphysics, impenetrability is the name given to that quality of matter 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." [2]

ee also

* Locke's views on extension
* Interpenetration

References

#Nuttall
# [http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/philo/courses/modern05/LockeMaterialism.pdf Locke on Materialism]
# [http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/academic/digitexts/locke/understanding/chapter0204.html An Essay Concerning Human Understanding] (by Locke)
#Heinemann, F. H. "Toland and Leibniz." "The Philosophical Review", Vol. 54, No. 5. (Sep., 1945), pp. 437-457.


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  • Impenetrability — Im*pen e*tra*bil i*ty, n. [Cf. F. imp[ e]n[ e]trabilit[ e].] 1. Quality of being impenetrable. [1913 Webster] 2. (Physics) That property in virtue of which two portions of matter can not at the same time occupy the same portion of space. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • impenetrability — index congealment, inviolability, opacity Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • impenetrability — impenetrable ► ADJECTIVE 1) impossible to get through or into. 2) impossible to understand. 3) impervious to new ideas or influences. DERIVATIVES impenetrability noun impenetrably adverb …   English terms dictionary

  • impenetrability — noun Date: 1653 1. the inability of two portions of matter to occupy the same space at the same time 2. the quality or state of being impenetrable …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • impenetrability — /im pen i treuh bil i tee, im pen /, n. 1. the state or quality of being impenetrable. 2. Physics. that property of matter by virtue of which two bodies cannot occupy the same space simultaneously. [1655 65; IMPENETR(ABLE) + ABILITY] * * * …   Universalium

  • impenetrability — noun The characteristic of being impenetrable; invulnerability …   Wiktionary

  • IMPENETRABILITY —    the name given to that quality of matter whereby two bodies cannot occupy the same space at the same time …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • impenetrability — im·pen·e·tra·bil·i·ty || ɪm‚penɪtrÉ™ bɪlÉ™tɪ n. incapability of being penetrated or entered; insusceptibility to outside ideas or influences; unfathomability, inscrutability …   English contemporary dictionary

  • impenetrability — im·penetrability …   English syllables

  • impenetrability — im•pen•e•tra•bil•i•ty [[t]ɪmˌpɛn ɪ trəˈbɪl ɪ ti, ˌɪm pɛn [/t]] n. 1) the state or quality of being impenetrable 2) phs the property of matter by which two bodies cannot occupy the same space simultaneously • Etymology: 1655–65 …   From formal English to slang

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