Synopses & Reviews
Sir Isaac Newton was one of the greatest scientists of all time, a thinker of extraordinary range and creativity who has left enduring legacies in mathematics and the natural sciences. In this volume a team of distinguished contributors examines the principal aspects of Newton's thought. They include not only his approach to space, time, mechanics, and universal gravity in Principia and his research in optics and mathematics, but also his lesser known clandestine investigations into alchemy, theology, and prophecy.
Review
"A worthy addition to the already rich and diverse Cambridge Companion series, this new multi-authored work provides a valuable tool for historians, philosophers, and theologians who study Newton's massive literary output and incalculable impact on the modern world." ISIS"The contributors have produced sixteen well-written and admirably focused chapters.... Good index; excellent selective and intelligently organized bibliography. This book splendidly has met its goals. Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty." Choice"A complete survey of Newton's thought." Seventeenth Century News
Synopsis
Sir Isaac Newton (1642 1727) was one of the greatest scientists of all time, a thinker of extraordinary range and creativity who has left enduring legacies in mathematics and the natural sciences. In this volume a team of distinguished contributors examines all the main aspects of Newtonâs thought.
Table of Contents
List of figures; List of contributors; Preface; Introduction I. Bernard Cohen and George E. Smith; 1. Newton's philosophical analysis of space and time Robert DiSalle; 2. Newton's concepts of force and mass, with notes on the Laws of Motion I. Bernard Cohen; 3. Curvature in Newton's dynamics J. Bruce Brackenridge and Michael Nauenberg; 4. The methodology of the Principia George E. Smith; 5. Newton's argument for universal gravitation William Harper; 6. Newton and celestial mechanics Curtis Wilson; 7. Newton's optics and atomism Alan E. Shapiro; 8. Newton's metaphysics Howard Stein; 9. Analysis and synthesis in Newton's mathematical work Niccol- Guicciardini; 10. Newton, active powers and the mechanical philosophy Alan Gabbey; 11. The background to Newton's chemistry William Newman; 12. Newton's alchemy Karin Figala; 13. Newton on prophecy and the Apocalypse Maurizio Mamiani; 14. Newton and eighteenth-century Christianity Scott Mandelbrote; 15. Newton versus Leibniz: from geometry to metaphysics A. Rupert Hall; 16. Newton and the Leibniz-Clarke correspondence Domenico Bertoloni Meli; Bibliography; Index.