Isaac Newton (1642-1727) Flashcards
Explores image vs. reality: Newton as hero for 18th century, public and private, his work, and debates around his work and its reception.
How did Newton juggle the private/public spheres?
Newton navigated the private and public spheres by keeping certain aspects of his life, such as his interest in alchemy and heretical beliefs, private.
Describe the myth culture around Newton
The mythic culture around Newton portrayed him as a Christ-like figure who brought light to the understanding of nature.
This myth-building occurred in the 18th century, with artists expressing frustration at Newton’s reduction of the beauty of the rainbow to mathematical abstractions, as seen in works like Blake’s “Newton.”
Describe Leibniz in relation to Newton
Newton’s non-causal account of gravity is seen as unintelligible by supporters of the mechanical philosophy, notably Leibniz
Leibniz charges Newtonians with making it a supernatural thing, a miracle and a fiction invented to support an ill-grounded opinion
Long dispute between Leibniz and Newton’s follower Clarke
How was Newton’s (private) work heretical? Identify at least ways.
His unconventional beliefs in biblical chronology and Jesus as a human reflected heresy by contemporary religious standards.
He engaged in alchemical pursuits, seeking the philosopher’s stone and exploring theological ideas that contradicted mainstream Christianity.
Using which object did Newton conduct his famous experiment on colour? What was his resulting theory on the nature of light?
A prism.
His resulting theory on the nature of light proposed that white light is composed of different colours and that prisms could decompose it into its constituent colours.
Who were the individuals who found Newton’s idea on gravity unsatisfactory and why did they find the idea not convincing?
Newton’s concept of universal attraction faced resistance from proponents of the mechanical philosophy, who sought more mechanistic explanations for natural phenomena.
Individuals who found Newton’s idea of gravity unsatisfactory included critics like Leibniz and Huygens.
They were unconvinced by Newton’s non-causal account of gravity, which introduced mysterious forces and occult elements.
Leibniz, in particular, engaged in a long dispute with Newton, finding his explanation unintelligible.
Explain how Newton’s hypotheses on gravity were controversial to mechanical philosophers.
His concept of action at a distance, without a material medium, contradicted the mechanical philosophy of the time.
Mechanical philosophers, influenced by Descartes, sought explanations based on direct contact between bodies or through a mechanical medium.
Newton’s introduction of a mysterious force acting at a distance, as described in his law of universal gravitation, went against the established principles of mechanical explanations, leading to skepticism and debates among his contemporaries.
Explain Newton as a new departure
Newton’s role as a new departure in the scientific landscape is characterized by his groundbreaking contributions that fundamentally reshaped existing paradigms (mechanical philosophy).
Newtonian Gravity (action at a distance without a material medium) reintroduces “occult” forces?
Explain Newton as a synthesizer
1.Brings together the Mathematical and Experimental traditions (Bacon, Galileo)
2.The Mechanical and the Occult philosophies - prisms separating light, alchemy breaking down substances
What were the controversies of Newton?
Isaac Newton’s life and work were marked by controversies, including the tension between “Public Science vs. Private Heresy.”
Newton’s secretive engagement in alchemy and profound religious beliefs raised debates about reconciling his unconventional pursuits with his scientific legacy.
The “Leibniz-Newton Controversy” over calculus invention and scrutiny of his law of universal gravitation.
His attempt to predict the apocalypse in 2060 further fueled debates.
