Original scientific paper

The Beginnings of Newtonianism in Europe and Croatia

Stipe Kutleša ; Institut za filozofiju, Zagreb, Hrvatska

Abstract

The paper briefly depicts the philosophical and scientific concepts at the end of the 17th and in the 18th century and presents the main characteristics of the then dominant philosophical and scientific orientations, i.e. the peripatetical philosophy of nature and Descartes’ philosophy, and examines the process of acquisition of modern philosophical and scientific tenets in certain parts of Europe and in Croatia, that is, how Cartesianism replaced peripatetical philosophy, while later Newtonianism superseded both these approaches. Special attention is paid to the acceptance and spreading of Newtonianism, in Newton’s England during his life and especially in the first half of the 18th century, and in Scotland, where Newton’s philosophy was accepted as soon as in the first decade of the 18th century. Newtonianism outside Britain spread to the Netherlands, first and most intensely, to France some time later, and gradually to the rest of Europe. In some parts of Europe, Newtonianism was not accepted until the second half of the 18th century. The paper also points at the contributions of Croatian professors to the promotion of novel ideas, whether they worked outside Croatia or returned to it. Newtonianism and Boscovichianism were somewhat late in coming to Croatia, from Austria, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, through Croatian and foreign professors and the authors of university textbooks. The only Croatian Newtonian in the mid-eighteenth century who worked in Croatia exclusively was Kazimir Bedeković.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

68555

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/68555

Publication date:

1.12.2003.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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