Berlin 2018 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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AGPhil: Arbeitsgruppe Philosophie der Physik

AGPhil 1: Philosophie der Physik I

AGPhil 1.1: Vortrag

Mittwoch, 14. März 2018, 16:30–17:00, H 2033

Physics and metaphysics in Newton and Leibniz — •Dieter Suisky — Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Leibniz published his treatise on a new physical theory entitled Theoria motus abstracti in 1671. It was based on the corpuscular theory which was mainly represented by Democritus, Descartes and Huygens. Simultaneously Leibniz developed a programme for geometry (Analysis situs), which included not only the production of lines by motion (L1), but also forces and effects (L2). Between 1675 and 1676, Leibniz introduced the notions of dead and living forces by non-metaphysical considerations and analyzed relative motion. After 1678 Leibniz performed a substantial turn towards a metaphysical foundation of physics.
Newton, after having abandoned alchemistic and theological studies, was challenged by the investigation and description of planetary motion. Geometrically, the solution was constructed in terms of ”curvilinear figures which are considered as generated by growing” (similar to L1). In physics, Newton replaced at first the Aristotelian theory with the idea of conatus and introduced additionally the postulate: ”Force is the causal principle of rest and motion.” (1685) After that step and having further distinguished between rest, uniform and non-uniform motion, Newton succeeded in constructing dynamics by means of inertia and impressed moving forces (1687). Alternatively, Leibniz maintained his previous non-metaphysical keystone of living forces (L2)(1686) which had been later called kinetic energy by his followers.