ABSTRACT
The ancient authorities of the Western philosophical tradition had some dispute regarding the essential properties of Space. The Roman philosopher Lucretius speaks of the inane, truly empty space that provides the opportunity for motion of the solid bodies. A geographical space is defined by the mountains, rivers, and other geographical features it contains. Inspired by post-Newtonian advances in electromagnetism, Albert Einstein could envision an active Space, participating in the dynamics of the matter inside it. The idea of length contraction was adopted in the most unlikely variation by Einstein in his special theory of relativity. Einstein came on the scene of physics in the early years of the twentieth century with new and insightful thinking about the nature of Space and Time. Einstein’s major preoccupation over the decade following his work on the special theory of relativity was to generalize the laws of physics for all observers, including those experiencing acceleration.
