Overview

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 examine all the main aspects of Newton's thought, including not only his approach to space, time, mechanics, and universal gravity in his Principia, his research in optics, and his contributions to mathematics, but also his more clandestine investigations into alchemy, theology, and prophecy, which have sometimes been overshadowed by his mathematical and scientific interests.

Full Product Details

Author:   I. Bernard Cohen (Harvard University, Massachusetts) ,  George E. Smith (Tufts University, Massachusetts)
Publisher:   Cambridge University Press
Imprint:   Cambridge University Press (Virtual Publishing)
ISBN:  

9780511998607

ISBN 10:   0511998600
Pages:   480
Publication Date:   28 May 2006
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Undefined
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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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 Niccolò 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.

Reviews

'... the quality of the scholarship is consistently high and often illuminating ... there is a very well organized bibliography, offering an excellent guide for further study ... This volume is consciously aimed at distinguishing Newton from the legend, and it does so admirably.' British Journal for the History of Philosophy 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

'... the quality of the scholarship is consistently high and often illuminating ... there is a very well organized bibliography, offering an excellent guide for further study ... This volume is consciously aimed at distinguishing Newton from the legend, and it does so admirably.' British Journal for the History of Philosophy

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