Microcosmology Atom in Jain Philosophy and Modern Science

Author(s): Jethalal S Zaveri, Mahendramuni
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

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Microcosmology : Atom The stage of the Newtonian universe was (1) the three dimensional absolute space--"always similar and immovable" and (2) absolute time, a separate dimension - "flowing uniformly without regard to anything external". Material particles (actors) or mass-points -small, solid and undestructible objects, out of which all matter was made -- moved in this asbolute space, filled with ether (medium of motion), strictly obeying the laws of motion in respect to the absolute time. It can be seen that this model was not very much different from that of Greek atomists. The important difference between the Democritean and Newtonian atoms is that the former were moved by external forces, which were assumed to be of spiritual origin, and therefore, were fundamentally different from matter while in the case of Newtonian particles, the moving force acting between them is an innate quality of matter, depending upon the mass and the mutual distance of the particle. It is the force of gravity.
Physicists upto the 19th century firmly believed that the universe was indeed a huge machine worknig in accordance with the Newtonian equations of motion which were the basis of classical mechanics. In fact, these laws of motion were accepted as the ultimate theory of natural phenomena. But, alas, a new physical reality viz electromagnetic phenomena which was discovered in less than a hundred years dethroned the supremacy. of the Newtonian laws and exposed their limitations, and also established that none of their features had absolute validity,
DISCOVERY OF ELECTROMAGNETIC PHENOMENA
In the nineteenth century, the first persons to go beyond the Newtonian Physics were Michael Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell. This radical change in scientific outlook was brought about by the discovery of a new type of force which the mechanistic model failed to describe. This was the 'electomagnetic phenomena'. In fact, Faraday was the first person to bring science and technology to a turning point by producing an electric current in a coil of copper by moving a magnet near it. The colossal technology of electrical engineering was the result of this fundamental experiment converting mechanical energy into electrical one. At the same time, it formed the foundation of the