Physics and Metaphysics: Theories of Space and TimeRoutledge, 01.09.2003 - 224 Seiten Jennifer Trusted's new book argues that metaphysical beliefs are essential for scientific inquiry. The theories, presuppositions and beliefs that neither science nor everyday experience can justify are the realm of metaphysics, literally `beyond physics'. These basic beliefs form a framework for our activities and can be discovered in science, common sense and religion. By examining the history of science from the eleventh century to the present, this book shows how religious and mystical beliefs, as well as philosophical speculation have had a considerable role in motivating scientists and inspiring scientific inquiry. Physics and Metaphysics presupposes no technical knowledge of either philosophy or science. It is an ideal introduction to science and the important forces that have shaped its history and ideas. |
Inhalt
Acknowledgements | |
What is metaphysics? | |
The ordered cosmos | |
Old beliefs and new ideas | |
Chaos | |
The searchfora neworder 5 The grand design 6 The age of reason | |
energy and ether 9 Revolution | |
Physics and metaphysics | |
Notes | |
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absolute accepted Almagest andhe andthat andthe appear appreciated Aristotelian Aristotelian physics Aristotle Aristotle’s astronomers atthe Bacon beliefs bythe causal Christian Church classical classical physics commonsense concept Copernican Copernicus Copernicus’s Corpus Hermeticum cosmology cosmos criticism Descartes Descartes’s didnot divine earth Einstein electromagnetic electromagnetic radiations empirical energy ether example explanations force frame of reference fromthe Galilean transformation Galileo God’s heat heavens Hermes Trismegistus Hermetic hermeticism human ibid ideas inertial influence inquiry inthe itwas judgements Kepler knowledge laws Leibniz light logical London mathematical matter measured medieval metaphysical metaphysical assumptions motion moving natural philosophy Newton Newtonian nineteenthcentury objects observation ofnatural ofthe onthe orbit perfect phenomena physical planets position positivism positivists postulate presuppositions principle qualities quotation reason relative religious scientific sense experiences seventeenth century space speculation spheres Spinoza substance thatit thatthe thatthere theether theory thought tobe tothe ultimate universe velocity wasa wasnot Whewell withthe wouldbe