Filozofska istraživanja, Vol. 39 No. 2, 2019.
Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.21464/fi39211
Newton and the Divine Reformations of Nature
Goran Rujević
orcid.org/0000-0001-5047-8094
; Univerzitet u Novom Sadu, Filozofski fakultet, Dr. Zorana Đinđića 2, RS–21000 Novi Sad
Abstract
At the very end of his treatise Opticks, Isaac Newton mentions a “Reformationˮ of the System of Nature, a periodic divine intervention that sustains the continued existence of nature otherwise prone to decay. With the help of Holbachʼs idea of order, we offer an interpretation of Newtonʼs claims on the origin and importance of this reformation, which sometimes appear to contradict one another. By accentuating similarities and differences between human and divine cognition, we can see how Newton’s philosophy of nature can accommodate two concepts of ordered systems: a simple mechanical system, and a well-designed teleological system that displays the presence of an almighty and benevolent Creator. These concepts help differentiate Newton’s understanding of God from deistic, Cartesian and Leibnizʼs ideas.
Keywords
deism; divine cognition; divine intervention; Isaac Newton; natural order
Hrčak ID:
236964
URI
Publication date:
17.8.2019.
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