The Newtonian Revolution: With Illustrations of the Transformation of Scientific Ideas (The Wiles Lectures)

this Volume Presents Professor Cohen's Original Interpretation Of The Revolution That Marked The Beginnings Of Modern Science And Set Newtonian Science As The Model For The Highest Level Of Achievement In Other Branches Of Science. It Shows That Newton Developed A Special Kind Of Relation Between Abstract Mathematical Constructs And The Physical Systems That We Observe In The World Around Us By Means Of Experiment And Critical Observation. The Heart Of The Radical Newtonian Style Is The Construction On The Mind Of A Mathematical System That Has Some Features In Common With The Physical World; This System S Then Modified When The Deductions And Conclusions Drawn From It Are Tested Against The Physical Universe. Using This System Newton Was Able To Make His Revolutionary Innovations In Celestial Mechanics And, Ultimately, Create A New Physics Of Central Forces And The Law Of Universal Gravitation. Building On His Analysis Of Newton's Methodology, Professor Cohen Explores The Fine Structure Of Revolutionary Change And Scientific Creativity In General. This Is Done By Developing The Concept Of Scientific Change As A Series Of Transformations Of Ecxisting Ideas. It Is Shown That Such Transformation Is Characteristic Of Many Aspects Of The Sciences And That The Concept Of Scientific Change By Transformation Suggests A New Way Of Examining The Very Nature Of Scientific Creativity. This volume presents Professor Cohen's original interpretation of the revolution that marked the beginnings of modern science and set Newtonian science as the model for the highest level of achievement in other branches of science. It shows that Newton developed a special kind of relation between abstract mathematical constructs and the physical systems that we observe in the world around us by means of experiment and critical observation. The heart of the radical Newtonian style is the construction on the mind of a mathematical system that has some features in common with the physical world; this system was then modified when the deductions and conclusions drawn from it are tested against the physical universe. Using this system Newton was able to make his revolutionary innovations in celestial mechanics and, ultimately, create a new physics of central forces and the law of universal gravitation. Building on his analysis of Newton's methodology, Professor Cohen explores the fine structure of revolutionary change and scientific creativity in general. This is done by developing the concept of scientific change as a series of transformations of existing ideas. It is shown that such transformation is characteristic of many aspects of the sciences and that the concept of scientific change by transformation suggests a new way of examining the very nature of scientific creativity. The Newtonian revolution......Page 2 Contents......Page 8 PREFACE......Page 12 PART ONE The Newtonian revolution and the Newtonian style......Page 18 1 The Newtonian revolution in science......Page 20 2 Revolution in science and the Newtonian revolution as historical concepts......Page 56 3 The Newtonian revolution and the Newtonian style......Page 69 PART TWO Transformations of scientific ideas......Page 172 4 The transformation of scientific ideas......Page 174 5 Newton and Kepler's laws: stages of transformation leading toward universal gravitation......Page 239 Supplement: History of the concept of transformation: a personal account......Page 297 Notes......Page 307 Bibliography......Page 378 Index......Page 414 A study of the Newtonian revolution in science rests on the fundamental assumption that revolutions actually occur in science.