Newton’s Scientific and Philosophical LegacyPaul B. Scheurer, G. Debrock This volume contains the Proceedings of the International Colloqui um "Newton's Scientific and Philosophical Legacy", that was held at the Catholic University of Nijmegen (The Netherlands) from June 9th to 12th 1987 to celebrate the Tercentenary of the publication of Newton's Philo sophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (1667). Although 1987 was a busy year for Newton scholars, we were happy that five of most prom inent among them were able to come to Nijmegen and speak on the vari ous aspects of Newton's thought. They are the Professors I. Bernard Cohen (Harvard), Gale Christianson (Indiana State), B. J. Dobbs (Northwestern), Richard H. Popkin (UCLA) and Mordechai Feingold (Boston University). No doubt, recent scholarship has put Newton's genius in a quite different perspective from the one that had come to make up what may be called Newtonian mythology. Although his achievements in the areas of mechanics, mathematics, and optics remain indisputed, Newton's scientific efforts were apparently entirely subordi nate to his religious beliefs. This volume has been divided into four parts, preceded by a Pream ble in which Prof. Christianson offers a vivid portrait of Newton as a per son. The first part deals with the science of Newton as he himself under stood that term. The second part considers the influence of Newton's work on later scientific developments. The third part deals primarily with the question of the methodological influence of Newton, and the last part with his more philosophical legacy. Two editorial remarks are due. |
Contents
Newton The Man Again | 3 |
Newtons Third Law and Universal Gravity | 25 |
Newtons Alchemy and his Active Principle of Gravitation | 55 |
Newtons Biblical Theology and his Theological Physics | 81 |
Newtons Opticks and the Incomplete Revolution | 99 |
Newtons Pendulum Experiment and specific Characteristics of his Scientific Method in Physics | 113 |
The Surprises of Newtonian Determinism | 135 |
Newtons Conception of Time in Modern Physics and Philosophy | 151 |
a Legacy from Newton to Modern Physics | 227 |
A Characterization of the Newtonian Paradigm | 239 |
Newtons Mathematization of Physics in Retrospect | 253 |
Probability Planets and Newtons Methodology | 269 |
an Insight into Resilient Patterns of Thought | 275 |
Newtons Construction of the Law of Gravitation | 281 |
Newton and Locke through the Enlightenment and beyond | 291 |
What Survives from the Classical Concept of Absolute Time | 309 |
Gravitation and NineteenthCentury Physical Worldviews | 161 |
a Newtonian Legacy | 175 |
Reconciliation of the Newtonian Framework with Thermodynamics by the Reproducibility of a Collective Physical Quantity | 183 |
Newtonian Gravitational Theory and General Relativity in the Light of the Correspondence between their Mathematical Models | 193 |
Chemical Affinity in the 19th Century and Newtonianism | 201 |
Newton Lavoisier and Modern Science | 219 |
Newtons Theory of Matter | 321 |
Ethics Politics and Sociology as Newtonian Sciences | 343 |
Aristotle Wittgenstein alias Isaac Newton between Fact and Substance | 355 |
A Word About the Authors | 379 |
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1988 by Kluwer aether alchemy analysis ancient atoms attraction behavior Bernard Cohen bodies Cambridge cause chemical chemical affinity Christiaan Huygens classical classical mechanics Cohen concept constructive mathematics correspondence Debrock eds Descartes Dobbs doctrine edition electricity empirical equation Essay existence experimental experiments explained fact force formulation Galileo geometry gravitation Halley heat History of Science Huygens hypostatic abstraction Ibid ideas inertial interaction interpretation Isaac Newton Joule Kepler's Lavoisier Leibniz Locke's London manuscripts matter mechanical philosophy metaphysics modern motion natural philosophy Newton's Principia Newton's Scientific Newtonian style Opticks orbits P. B. Scheurer paper particles pendulum phenomena Philo Philosophical Legacy physical physicists planetary planets principle problem proportional proposition quantum mechanics question relation result Scheurer and G Scholium Scientific and Philosophical Scientific Revolution space space-time Stoic Stoicism structure substance theory thermodynamics things thought tion universal gravity velocity Westfall Yahuda