After Newton: Essays on Natural Philosophy

In the period 1700-1850 there took place a major transition in natural philosophy: from Newtons concept of passive matter activated by ethereal and active principles, to the conception of nature as a self-contained system, its activity being seen in terms of energy and field principles which were internal to the natural order. Without neglecting the scientific context, Dr Harmans approach is from the standpoint of the history of ideas. The first part of the volume deals with the British tradition of speculation about the nature of matter, ether and force; the second with the Continent, with the Leibnizian and Kantian critiques of Newtonian natural philosophy, and the development of Helmholtzs principle of the conservation of energy. The metaphysical and theological dimensions to matter theory are seen as fundamental to this profound shift in sensibilities: they did not determine scientific practice, but they constrained its form and shaped the structure of scientific thought. Une transition importante dans le domaine de la philosophie naturelle a pris place entre 1700 et 1850: passant du concept de Newton, selon lequel la matire inerte etait active par des principes actifs et sublimes, celui de la nature en tant que systme se suffisant lui-mme, son activit tant considre en termes dnergie et de principes pratiques qui appartenaient lordre naturel. Sans pour autant ngliger le contexte scientifique, lapproche du Dr Harman prend lhistoire des ides pour point de dpart. La premire partie du volume traite de la tradition spculative britannique quant la nature de la matire, ther et force; la seconde traite du Continent avec la critique leibnitzienne et kantienne de la philosophie newtonienne et le dveloppement du principe de conservation dnergie de Helmholtz. Les dimensions thologiques et mtaphysiques de la thorie de la matire sont considres comme tant fondamentales ce changeme