Editing Nothing (section)

====Aristotle, Newton, Descartes====
[[Aristotle]] (384–322 BCE) provided the classic escape from the logical problem posed by Parmenides by distinguishing things that are ''matter'' and things that are ''space''. In this scenario, space is not "nothing" but, rather, a receptacle in which objects of matter can be placed. The true void (as "nothing") is different from "space" and is removed from consideration.<ref>Aristotle, ''Categories'', '''I''':6, 350 BCE, translator, E. M. Edghill, The Internet Classics Archive [http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/categories.1.1.html retrieved] 24 January 2009.</ref><ref>Aristotle, ''Categories'', '''III''':7, 350 BCE, translator, J. L. Stocks, The Internet Classics Archive [http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/heavens.3.iii.html retrieved] 24 January 2009.</ref> This characterization of space reached its pinnacle with [[Isaac Newton]] who asserted the existence of absolute space. [[René Descartes]], on the other hand, returned to a Parmenides-like argument of denying the existence of space. For Descartes, there was matter, and there was extension of matter leaving no room for the existence of "nothing".{{sfn|Russell|1995|p=87}}

The idea that space can actually be empty was generally still not accepted by philosophers who invoked arguments similar to the plenum reasoning. Although Descartes' views on this were challenged by [[Blaise Pascal]], he declined to overturn the traditional belief, ''[[Horror vacui (physics)|horror vacui]]'', commonly stated as "nature abhors a vacuum". This remained so until [[Evangelista Torricelli]] invented the [[barometer]] in 1643 and showed that an empty space appeared if the mercury tube was turned upside down. This phenomenon being known as the Torricelli vacuum and the unit of vacuum pressure, the [[torr]], being named after him. Even Torricelli's teacher, [[Galileo Galilei]], had previously been unable to adequately explain the sucking action of a pump.{{sfn|Pieper|Wald|2006|pp=237–238}}