This classic in the philosophy of science describes and analyzes the profound change from the philosophy of the Middle Ages to the modern view of humanity's less central place in the universe. It offers a fascinating analysis of the works of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Descartes, Hobbes, Gilbert, Boyle, and Newton.
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
and#160; (A) The Historical Problem Suggested by the Nature of Modern Thought
and#160; (B) The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Science the Key to This Problem
CHAPTER II: COPERNICUS AND KEPLER
and#160; (A) The Problem of the New Astronomy
and#160; (B) Metaphysical Bearings of the Pre-Copernican Progress in Mathematics
and#160; (C) Ultimate Implications of Copernicus' Step-Revival of Pythagoreanism
and#160; (D) Kepler's Early Acceptance of the New World-Scheme
and#160; "(E) First Formulation of the New Metaphysics-Causality, Quantity, Primary and Secondary Qualities"
CHAPTER III: GALILEO
and#160; "(A) The Science of "Local Motion"
and#160; (B) Nature as Mathematical Order-Galileo's Method
and#160; (C) The Subjectivity of Secondary Qualities
and#160; "(D) Motion, Space, and Time"
and#160; (E) The Nature of Causality-God and the Physical World-Positivism
CHAPTER IV: DESCARTES
and#160; (A) Mathematics as the Key to Knowledge
and#160; (B) Geometrical Conception of the Physical Universe
and#160; "(C) "Res extensa" and "Res cogitans"
and#160; (D) The Problem of Mind and Body
CHAPTER V: SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY ENGLISH PHILOSOPHY
and#160; (A) Hobbes' Attack on the Cartesian Dualism
and#160; (B) Treatment of Secondary Qualities and Causality
and#160; (C) More's Notion of Extension as a Category of Spirit
and#160; "(D) The "Spirit of Nature" "
and#160; (E) Space as the Divine Presence
and#160; "(F) Barrow's Philosophy of Method, Space, and Time"
CHAPTER VI: GILBERT AND BOYLE
and#160; (A) The Non-Mathematical Scientific Current
and#160; (B) Boyle's Importance as Scientist and Philosopher
and#160; (C) Acceptance and Defence of the Mechanical World-View
and#160; (D) Value of Qualitative and Teleological Explanations
and#160; (E) Insistence on Reality of Secondary Qualities-Conception of Man
and#160; (F) Pessimistic View of Human Knowledge-Positivism
and#160; (G) Boyle's Philosophy of the Ether
and#160; (H) God's Relation to the Mechanical World
and#160; (I) Summary of the Pre-Newtonian Development
CHAPTER VII: THE METAPHYSICS OF NEWTON
and#160; Section 1: Newton's Method
and#160;and#160;and#160; (A) The Mathematical Aspect
and#160;and#160;and#160; (B) The Empirical Aspect
and#160;and#160;and#160; "(C) Attack on "Hypotheses"
and#160;and#160;and#160; (D) Newton's Union of Mathematics and Experiment
and#160; Section 2: The Doctrine of Positivism
and#160; "Section 3: Newton's General Conception of the World, and of Man's Relation to It"
and#160; "Section 4: Space, Time, and Mass"
and#160;and#160;and#160; (A) Mass
and#160;and#160;and#160; (B) Space and Time
and#160;and#160;and#160; (C) Criticism of Newton's Philosophy of Space and Time
and#160; Section 5: Newton's Conception of the Ether
and#160;and#160;and#160; (A) The Function of the Ether
and#160;and#160;and#160; (B) Newton's Early Speculations
and#160;and#160;and#160; (C) Development of a More Settled Theory
and#160; Section 6: God-Creator and Preserver of the Order of the World
and#160;and#160;and#160; (A) Newton as Theologian
and#160;and#160;and#160; (B) God's Present Duties in the Cosmic Economy
and#160;and#160;and#160; (C) The Historical Relations of Newton's Theism
CHAPTER VIII: CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX