| RefNo | MS/603/3/133 |
| Previous numbers | 533 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter from Maurice F [Frederick] Fitzgerald, Fiarholme, Kill o' the Grange, Blackrock, Co Dublin, to Sir Joseph [Larmor] |
| Creator | FitzGerald; Maurice Frederick (1850-1927); Irish engineer |
| Recipient | Larmor; Sir Joseph (1857-1942); Irish theoretical physicist |
| Date | 18 October 1920 |
| Description | He thanks Larmor for sending a copy of the reprint of [James] Clerk Maxwell's 'Matter and Motion', bringing in later thoughts and discussion. He has seen [Erwin Finlay] Freundlich's pamphlet on 'The foundation of Einstein's theory of gravitation' which he considers 'encumbered with too much philosophy - or metaphysics'. He refers to George Francis Fitzgerald's assessment of German philosophical scientists, and discusses action at a distance and propagation in time. Freundlich can be as stiff as Karl Pearson, he thinks, and he discusses the example of three observers stationed on Jupiter, the Earth and Sun. He notes more of Freundlich's statements and explanations, including on cathode rays, not agreeing with Larmor's position; and on causality. Fitzgerald has a quarrel with [Hermann] Minkowski's view of rods. In a long postscript, he refers to 'Naturalism and Agnosticism' by J. [James] Ward and its discussion of Herbert Spencer on conservation of energy. |
| Extent | 3p. |
| Format | Manuscript |
| PhysicalDescription | Ink on paper. |
| AccessStatus | Open |