Now without _recognizing_ any hypothesis about the connection between
“Äther” and matter, we can expect these mathematically evident theorems
to have their consequences so far extended—that thereby even those laws
of ponderable media which are yet unknown may anyhow possess this
covariance when subjected to a Lorentz-transformation; by saying this,
we do not indeed express an opinion, but rather a conviction,—and this
conviction I may be permitted to call the Postulate of Relativity. The
position of affairs here is almost the same as when the Principle of
Conservation of Energy was postulated in cases, where the corresponding
forms of energy were unknown.
Now if hereafter, we succeed in maintaining this covariance as a
definite connection between pure and simple observable phenomena in
moving bodies, the definite connection may be styled ‘the Principle of
Relativity.’
These differentiations seem to me to be necessary for enabling us to
characterise the present day position of the electro-dynamics for moving
bodies.
H. A. Lorentz[12] has found out the “Relativity theorem” and has created
the Relativity-postulate as a hypothesis that electrons and matter
suffer contractions in consequence of their motion according to a
certain law.
A. Einstein[13] has brought out the point very clearly, that this
postulate is not an artificial hypothesis but is rather a new way of
comprehending the time-concept which is forced upon us by observation of
natural phenomena.
The Principle of Relativity has not yet been formulated for
electro-dynamics of moving bodies in the sense characterized by me. In
the present essay, while formulating this principle, I shall obtain the
fundamental equations for moving bodies in a sense which is uniquely
determined by this principle.
But it will be shown that none of the forms hitherto assumed for these
equations can exactly fit in with this principle.[14]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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