I am reading "The Nature of the Physical World" by Sir A.S. Eddington.
The Nature of the Physical World
Written in 1928, AFAIK it predates any category theory or thinking, what with MacLane still two years away from graduating Yale at this point.
Yet as I read it, I can't help but get the impression Sir Eddington was already thinking categorically: he speaks of a world-building in terms of relations only, speaks of space and time as categories, clearly states the limits of set theory and laments that there are no other systems; in fact, MacLane's "adjoints are everywhere" quip adequately describes the underlying philosophy of "The nature of the physical world" .
The most modern mathematical review of Eddington's ideas that I could find is this 2004 PhD Thesis, but it doesn't touch on category theory.
Sir Arthur Eddignton and the foundations of physics
Given the prominence that Eddington had at that time, I find it unlikely that MacLane was not exposed to his writings and, as I'm asking, I actually believe it might have had a great influence on his categorical thinking.
Is there any reference or literature that can confirm (or deny) this connection?
For those that have read it, am I just suffering from categorical pareidolia?