Original scientific paper
Stjepan Gradić's manuscript remarks on some physical problems
Zdravko Faj
; Pedagoški Fakultet, Osijek, Hrvatska
Abstract
Stjepan Gradić (1613—1683), curator and head of The Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, took active part in debates on some significant physical problems of the pre-Newton era. His early study Peripateticae philosophiae pronunciata disputationibus proposita (1634) vividly presents Gradić's determination to follow Aristotle’s natural philosophy. On the contrary, in his later work Disputatio de opinione probabili cum P. Honorato Fabri Soc. lesu theologo (1678) Gradić rejects Aristotle's notions of absolute gravity and lightness and insists on measurement. The progress Gradić accomplished in his understanding of physics in the years 1634 to 1678 the author has presented through several Gradić's manuscripts.
A note in Gradić's study Quaedam meditationies geometricae, Cod. Vat. lat. 6921, ff. 295r —296r, contains eight views and comments on increment of velocity in case of free fall as well as his acceptance of the theory of impetus. A letter from A. Borelli addressed to Stjepan Gradić on Sept 3 1663 in Quaedam meditations geometricae, ff. 246r —247r, serves to prove that the impetus theory survived in scientific debates to come, where Borelli suggested an experiment with a human model laid on a horizontal icy surface in order to confirm the genesis and action of impetus. Obviously, Gradić and Borelli were quite close in their theoretical explanations of impetus. In his correspondence to Ruil Ewoudt in 1682, Quaedam meditationes geometricae, f. 128, Gradić denied the opinion that a free falling body increased its weight Gradić's attitude to weight not being the sole reason of free fall but impetus as well gained by a body due to gravity or force, became the object of Leibnitz's criticism. Therefore Gradić's approach to the theory of impetus in reference to other scientific studies in the second half of the 17th century, especially attempts to give theoretical meaning to numerous observations / free fall, steering of a boat with a rudder etc.).
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
240897
URI
Publication date:
30.6.1991.
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