God and Boscovich's Demon
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3971480 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Boris Kožnjak (0000-0002-3034-9292, Institute of Philosophy, Ul. Grada Vukovara 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 39-56 |
| Publication date | 2022-01-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The European Legacy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1084-8770 • E-ISSN: 1470-1316 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10848770.2021.1986278 |
| OpenAlex | W3202240049 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 17 |
From the physical, mathematical, and conceptual points of view, Roger Joseph Boscovich’s original 1758 formulation of the principle of physical determinism and Pierre-Simon Laplace’s later 1814 rendering of the principle appear identical. Both Boscovich and Laplace expressed epistemological and ontological commitments to the ideas that (a) the present state of the universe is a necessary effect of its preceding states and the immediate cause of the states that follow, and (b) that knowledge of the present state of the universe allows the full knowledge of its future and past states. However, their respective metaphysical readings of the principle of determinism radically differ. Contrary to the secularized reading of the principle given by Laplace, Boscovich’s reading of the principle strongly affirms the natural theology he inherited from Newton. In particular, in addition to enhancing the traditional teleological and cosmological arguments for the existence of God based on probability theory and his specific views of the nature of infinity, Boscovich also offered an innovative version of the cosmological argument based on the very principle of physical determinism he was the first to formulate. The purpose of this article is to analyze the content and context of these metaphysical differences between Boscovich and Laplace in respect to the principle of physical determinism, which nevertheless leave intact the scientific content of the principle
Determinism · Epistemology · Laplace transform · Metaphysics · Physical law · Physics · Teleology · Theoretical physics · Historical and Literary Studies · Historical Philosophy and Science · History · History and Theory of Mathematics · Mathematics · Philosophy
Encyclopedia of Early Modern Philosophy and the Sciences
On the origins and foundations of Laplacian determinism
Who let the demon out? Laplace and Boscovich on determinism
Jesuit Contribution to Science
God of Gods, and Lord of Lords
How the Principia Got its Name; Or, Taking Natural Philosophy Seriously
Laplace's Early Work
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |