Newton and the Cyclical Cosmos

Providence and the Mechanical Philosophy

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4456635
AutoresDavid Kubrin (autor de correspondencia)
Año1967
Volumen28
Número3
Páginas325
Fecha de publicación1967-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of the History of Ideas (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0022-5037 • E-ISSN: 1086-3222
EditorialJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/2708622
OpenAlexW2335283382
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas23

The important debate between Newton and Leibniz in 1715 over metaphysical principles served to bring out fundamental differences in the way the two conceived of physical reality. At the heart of the debate were several basic tenets of Newtonian science which Leibniz objected to, one of which was Newton's 1706 statement of the world's decay. Newton had said that though the system of the sun and planets would continue for many Ages, over the course of years irregularities arising from the mutual attraction of the planets and the comets will be apt to increase, till this System wants a Reformation. . Leibniz objected to such a conception of an imperfect system of the world: to him it implied an imperfect Creator, lacking either the foresight or the ability to fashion a cosmic machinery able to last without His constant meddling. A truly perfect Creator, Leibniz insisted, would have fashioned a world which would last forever unless He were to intervene purposely to destroy it. This contrasted with Newton's belief that God would wisely fashion His creation in such a way that .. nothing is done without his continual government and inspection ,2 so that God had to act merely to allow the world to continue. Left by itself, an imperfect system made of mere dead matter, the world would tend over the course of centuries to become so unwound that a new creation-or reformation, as Newton put it-would be necessary.3

Art · Art history · Cosmos (plant) · Epistemology · Natural Philosophy · Historical Astronomy and Related Studies · Historical Philosophy and Science · History of Science and Medicine · Philosophy