Mechanism And Materialism: British Natural Philosophy In An Age Of Reason (princeton Legacy Library)
by Robert E. Schofield /
2015 / English / PDF
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Robert Schofield explores the rational elements of British
experimental natural philosophy in the 18th century by tracing
the influence of two opposing concepts of the nature of matter
and its action―mechanism and materialism. Both concepts rested on
the Newtonian interpretation of their proponents, although each
developed more or less independently. By integrating the
developments in all the areas of experimental natural philosophy,
describing their connections and the influences of Continental
science, natural theology, and to a lesser degree social and
institutional changes, the author demonstrates that mechanistic
concepts dominated interpretations from about 1687 to 1740, when
they were replaced by materialistic concepts. A revival of the
mechanistic approach early in the next century made England a
fertile field for ideas on the dynamic interaction of forces.
Robert Schofield explores the rational elements of British
experimental natural philosophy in the 18th century by tracing
the influence of two opposing concepts of the nature of matter
and its action―mechanism and materialism. Both concepts rested on
the Newtonian interpretation of their proponents, although each
developed more or less independently. By integrating the
developments in all the areas of experimental natural philosophy,
describing their connections and the influences of Continental
science, natural theology, and to a lesser degree social and
institutional changes, the author demonstrates that mechanistic
concepts dominated interpretations from about 1687 to 1740, when
they were replaced by materialistic concepts. A revival of the
mechanistic approach early in the next century made England a
fertile field for ideas on the dynamic interaction of forces.
Originally published in 1970.
Originally published in 1970.
The
ThePrinceton Legacy Library
Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest
print-on-demand technology to again make available previously
out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton
University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of
these important books while presenting them in durable paperback
and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library
is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found
in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press
since its founding in 1905.
uses the latest
print-on-demand technology to again make available previously
out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton
University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of
these important books while presenting them in durable paperback
and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library
is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found
in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press
since its founding in 1905.