Question

According to Newton, spacetime was like a stage, or a container. It existed independently of matter, and its properties were absolute: they did not depend on inertial observers.

Do you think one could salvage a view like Newton's, where spacetime and some of its properties are absolute, for Minkowski spacetime? Why or why not?

Answer 1

Newton physics was  on the the absoluteness of things under Gallelian transformation, with time as the absolute quantity. Length, mass,time etc. remained to be same irrespect of the space you are in.In classical domian where relative speed involed is very much low, the space and time had any noticible effects. The variations involved are very much feeble to bother anyone. So,to common people Newtonian physics works very well.

Howevere science is science like truth is truth, the space and time varies for an observer with different relative velocities. Einstein came up with theory of relativity formulated on minkowski space(flat space-time) taking the use of Loretz transformation, in this paradigm mass, length, time etc remains no more absolute.this is how space and time behaves. The results obtained from the theory where well tested from time to time and eveything in it till now, agreed with the experiments.  So what bothers one to accept it a clear cut and beautiful theory.

Differences are there however, there things like speed of light which is simultaneously agreed by both the theories

Physical laws remain same for every inertial frame of refrence. etc