Philosophical Perspectives on Newtonian Science
Philosophical Perspectives on Newtonian Science

Author: Phillip Bricker

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 9780262023016

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These original essays explore the philosophical implications of Newton's work. They address a wide range of topics including Newton's influence on his contemporaries and successors such as Locke and Kant, and his views on the methodology of science, on absolute space and time, and on the Deity.Howard Stein compares Newton's refusal to lock natural philosophy into a preexisting system with the more rigid philosophical predilections of his near-contemporaries Christian Huygens and John Locke. Richard Arthur's commentary provides a useful gloss on Stein's essay. Lawrence Sklar puzzles over Newton's attempts to provide a unified treatment of the various "real quantities": absolute space, time, and motion. According to Phillip Bricker's responding essay, however, the distinctions Sklar draws do not go to the heart of the debate between realists and representationalists.J. E. McGuire and John Carriero debate Newtons views of the relationship between the Deity and the nature of time and space. Peter Achinstein looks at the tension between Newton's methodological views and his advocacy of a corpuscular theory of light; he suggests that Newton could justify the latter by a "weak" inductive inference, but R.I.G. Hughes believes that this inference involves an induction Newton would be unwilling to make. Immanuel Kant's critique of Newton's view of gravity is discussed and amplified by Michael Friedman In response, Robert DiSalle raises a number of problems for Friedman's analysis. Errol Harris and Philip Grier extend the discussion to the present day and look at the ethical implications of Newton's work.Phillip Bricker is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. R.I.G. Hughes is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of South Carolina. Philosophical Perspectives on Newtonian Science is included in the Johns Hopkins Series on the History and Philosophy of Science.

A View of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy
A View of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy

Author: Anonymous

Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan

Published: 2023-10-01

Total Pages: 623

ISBN-13: 8184306601

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A View of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy is a significant work by the renowned scientist Sir Isaac Newton himself. In this book, Newton provides a comprehensive overview of his groundbreaking theories and philosophical perspectives that revolutionized the understanding of the physical world. Key Aspects of The Book “A View of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy: Principia Mathematica: Newton explains the fundamental principles of his landmark work, Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, commonly known as the Principia. He elucidates his laws of motion, universal gravitation, and the mathematical framework that underpins his theories, shaping the foundations of modern physics. Experimental and Deductive Reasoning: Newton emphasizes the importance of empirical observation and rigorous experimentation in scientific inquiry. He highlights the interplay between experimental data and deductive reasoning, illustrating his scientific method and its application in formulating laws and theories. The Nature of Light and Optics: Newton delves into his experiments and theories on the nature of light and optics. He discusses the phenomena of reflection, refraction, and color, providing insights into the behavior of light and the properties of different materials. Through A View of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy, readers gain a deeper understanding of Newton's profound contributions to the scientific community. From his laws of motion to his investigations into light and optics, the book showcases Newton's intellectual prowess, rigorous scientific approach, and the transformative impact of his discoveries on the field of physics. Sir Isaac Newton: Sir Isaac Newton, an English mathematician, physicist, and astronomer, is regarded as one of the greatest scientists in history. Born in 1643, Newton's groundbreaking work in the fields of mechanics and gravitation laid the foundation for classical physics. His seminal work, Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, introduced the laws of motion and the universal law of gravitation, transforming our understanding of the physical world. Newton's contributions to mathematics and science revolutionized scientific thought, establishing him as an intellectual giant whose influence continues to shape our understanding of the universe.

A View of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy
A View of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy

Author: Henry Pemberton

Publisher:

Published: 1728

Total Pages: 518

ISBN-13:

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A celebrated work in the history of science and a monument of British book design. First book to be printed in Caslon's Great Primer Roman

“The main Business of natural Philosophy”
“The main Business of natural Philosophy”

Author: Steffen Ducheyne

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2011-10-20

Total Pages: 367

ISBN-13: 9400721269

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In this monograph, Steffen Ducheyne provides a historically detailed and systematically rich explication of Newton’s methodology. Throughout the pages of this book, it will be shown that Newton developed a complex natural-philosophical methodology which encompasses procedures to minimize inductive risk during the process of theory formation and which, thereby, surpasses a standard hypothetico-deductive methodological setting. Accordingly, it will be highlighted that the so-called ‘Newtonian Revolution’ was not restricted to the empirical and theoretical dimensions of science, but applied equally to the methodological dimension of science. Furthermore, it will be documented that Newton’s methodology was far from static and that it developed alongside with his scientific work. Attention will be paid not only to the successes of Newton’s innovative methodology, but equally to its tensions and limitations. Based on a thorough study of Newton’s extant manuscripts, this monograph will address and contextualize, inter alia, Newton’s causal realism, his views on action at a distance and space and time, the status of efficient causation in the /Principia/, the different phases of his methodology, his treatment of force and the constituents of the physico-mathematical models in the context of Book I of the /Principia/, the analytic part of the argument for universal gravitation, the meaning and significance of his regulae philosophandi, the methodological differences between his mechanical and optical work, and, finally, the interplay between Newton’s theology and his natural philosophy.

Newton’s Scientific and Philosophical Legacy
Newton’s Scientific and Philosophical Legacy

Author: Paul B. Scheurer

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 406

ISBN-13: 9400928092

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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.

Newton
Newton

Author: Andrew Janiak

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2015-02-23

Total Pages: 213

ISBN-13: 140518728X

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Newton is an evocative intellectual history of the life and ideas of Isaac Newton the natural philosopher, covering his influential thoughts about philosophical problems, our knowledge of nature, and even the nature of the divine. Offers a comprehensive and highly accessible introduction to the life and ideas of Isaac Newton, emphasizing his influential contributions to the field of philosophy Covers the principal philosophical topics that captivated Newton’s mind, from our knowledge of nature to the nature of the divine Includes the most recent and innovative research regarding Newton’s views on theology and philosophy Emphasizes the philosophical importance of Newton’s work to the history of philosophy and his engagement with the ideas of both historic and contemporary figures such as Galileo and Descartes, Leibniz and Locke

Newton's Metaphysics
Newton's Metaphysics

Author: Eric Schliesser

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2021

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 019756769X

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In this collection of new and previously published essays, noted philosopher Eric Schliesser offers new interpretations of the signifance of Isaac Newton's metaphysics on his physics and the subsequent development of philosophy more broadly. Schliesser address Newton's account of space, time, gravity, motion, inertia, and laws-all evergreens in the literature; he also breaks new ground in focusing on Newton's philosophy of time, Newton's views on emanation, and Newton's modal metaphysics. In particular, Schliesser explores the rich resonances between Newton's and Spinoza's metaphysics. Schliesser presents a new argument of the ways in which Newton and his circle respond to the treatment and accusations of Spinozism, illuminating both the details of Newton's metaphysics and the content of Spinoza's. Schliesser provides a fine-grained analysis of some of the key metaphysical concepts in Newton's physics, including controversial interpretations of Newton's ideas on space, time, inertia, and necessity. Schliesser restates his provocative interpretation of Newton's views on action at a distance as he was developing the Principia. Newton's Metaphysics contains a substantive introduction, two chapters co-authored with Zvi Biener and with Mary Domski, new chapters on Newton's modal metaphysics and his theology, and two postscripts in which Schliesser responds to some of his most important critics, including Katherine Brading, Andrew Janiak, Hylarie Kochiras, Steffen Ducheyne, and Adwait Parker. The collection presents new and varied analyses on familiar focuses of Newton's work, adding important perspectives to the recent revival of interest in Spinoza's metaphysics.

The Cambridge Companion to Newton
The Cambridge Companion to Newton

Author: I. Bernard Cohen

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2002-04-25

Total Pages: 518

ISBN-13: 9780521656962

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Newton's philosophical analysis of space and time /Robert Disalle --Newton's concepts of force and mass, with notes on the Laws of Motion /I. Bernard Cohen --Curvature in Newton's dynamics /J. Bruce Brackenridge and Michael Nauenberg --Methodology of the Principia /George E. Smith --Newton's argument for universal gravitation /William Harper --Newton and celestial mechanics /Curtis Wilson --Newton's optics and atomism /Alan E. Shapiro --Newton's metaphysics /Howard Stein --Analysis and synthesis in Newton's mathematical work /Niccolò Guicciardini --Newton, active powers, and the mechanical philosophy /Alan Gabbey --Background to Newton's chymistry /William Newman --Newton's alchemy /Karin Figala --Newton on prophecy and the Apocalypse /Maurizio Mamiani --Newton and eighteenth-century Christianity /Scott Mandelbrote --Newton versus Leibniz : from geomentry to metaphysics /A. Rupert Hall --Newton and the Leibniz-Clarke correspondence /Domenico Bertoloni Meli.

The Newtonian Revolution
The Newtonian Revolution

Author: I. Bernard Cohen

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1980

Total Pages: 428

ISBN-13: 9780521273800

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This volume presents Professor Cohen's original interpretation of the revolution that marked the beginnings of modern science and set Newtonian science as the model for the highest level of achievement in other branches of science. It shows that Newton developed a special kind of relation between abstract mathematical constructs and the physical systems that we observe in the world around us by means of experiment and critical observation. The heart of the radical Newtonian style is the construction on the mind of a mathematical system that has some features in common with the physical world; this system was then modified when the deductions and conclusions drawn from it are tested against the physical universe. Using this system Newton was able to make his revolutionary innovations in celestial mechanics and, ultimately, create a new physics of central forces and the law of universal gravitation. Building on his analysis of Newton's methodology, Professor Cohen explores the fine structure of revolutionary change and scientific creativity in general. This is done by developing the concept of scientific change as a series of transformations of existing ideas. It is shown that such transformation is characteristic of many aspects of the sciences and that the concept of scientific change by transformation suggests a new way of examining the very nature of scientific creativity.