Parts of Falling Objects: Galileo’s Thought Experiment in Mereological Setting

Abstract

This paper aims to formalize Galileo’s argument (and its variations) against the Aristotelian view that the weight of free-falling bodies influences their speed. I obtain this via the application of concepts of parthood and of mereological sum, and via recognition of a principle which is not explicitly formulated by the Italian thinker but seems to be natural and helpful in understanding the logical mechanism behind Galileo’s train of thought. I also compare my reconstruction to one of those put forward by Atkinson and Peijnenburg (Stud Hist Philos Sci 35(1):115–136, 2004), and propose a formalization which is based on a principle introduced by them, which I shall call the speed is mediative principle.