The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Science

Edwin Arthur Burtt

Courier Corporation, Jan 1, 2003 - Science - 352 pages

To the medieval thinker, man was the center of creation and all of nature existed purely for his benefit. The shift from the philosophy of the Middle Ages to the modern view of humanity’s less central place in the universe ranks as the greatest revolution in the history of Western thought, and this classic in the philosophy of science describes and analyzes how that profound change occurred.
A fascinating analysis of the works of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Descartes, Hobbes, Gilbert, Boyle, and Newton, it not only establishes the reasons for the triumph of the modern perspective, but also accounts for certain limitations in this view that continue to characterize contemporary scientific thought. A criticism as well as a history of the change that made possible the rise of modern science, this volume is also a guide to understanding the methods and accomplishments of the great philosopher-scientists of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

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I too read this book over 30 years ago and it made an impact on my understanding of both the origins of western science and the value of its birth in the question to "think God's thoughts after Him".

Contents

• INTRODUCTION: 15
• B The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Science: 25
• COPERNICUS AND KEPLER: 36
• c Ultimate Implications of Copernicus StepRevival: 52
• GALILEO: 72
• DESCARTES: 105
• SEVENTEENTHCENTURY ENGLISH: 125
• GILBERT AND BOYLE: 162
• View: 172
• THE METAPHYSICS OF NEWTON: 207
• The Doctrine of Positivism: 227
• Space Time and Mass: 239
• Time: 256
• Newtons Conception of the Ether: 264
• GodCreator and Preserver of the Order of: 283
• CONCLUSION: 303
• BIBLIOGRAPHY: 329
• INDEX: 345

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Science; Dover books on history, political and social science
• Author: Edwin Arthur Burtt
• Edition: illustrated, unabridged, reprint
• Publisher: Courier Corporation, 2003
• ISBN: 0486425517, 9780486425511
• Length: 352 pages
• Subjects: Philosophy / Metaphysics; Science / History; Science / Philosophy & Social Aspects