Gustav Theodor Fechner: pioneer of the fourth dimension
Gustav Theodor Fechner (1801-1887) was an important philosopher in the nineteenth century in Germany. He was engaged in different disciplines: medicine, physics, mathematics and the philosophy of nature. The article at hand comprehends an introduction, and translations of two essays of G. Fechner (using the pen name ``Dr. Mises''): ``Der Schatten ist lebendig'' (``The shadow is Alive'') and ``Der Raum hat vier Dimensionen'' (``Space has Four Dimensions'') into English. G. Fechner was one of the first of a couple of scientists and writers of the nineteenth century, who tried to imagine the idea of higher dimensional spaces. From the same period are the well known books ``Flatland'' written by Edwin Abbott and ``Alice's Adventures'' written by Lewis Caroll -- both mathematicians too. In case of the first essay the reader at first is uncertain if the text is meant seriously or if it is just a joke. But at any rate it shows Fechner's fantasy and conviction that all nature is besouled. Similary the second essay is full of different ideas regarding a fourth dimension in space. Concurrently G. Fechner satirizes the methods of reasoning that some philosophers use to ``prove'' whatever they please.
scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5971479