Table of Contents

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION (A) The Historical Problem Suggested by the Nature of Modern Thought (B) The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Science the Key to This Problem CHAPTER II: COPERNICUS AND KEPLER (A) The Problem of the New Astronomy (B) Metaphysical Bearings of the Pre-Copernican Progress in Mathematics (C) Ultimate Implications of Copernicus' Step-Revival of Pythagoreanism (D) Kepler's Early Acceptance of the New World-Scheme "(E) First Formulation of the New Metaphysics-Causality, Quantity, Primary and Secondary Qualities" CHAPTER III: GALILEO "(A) The Science of "Local Motion" (B) Nature as Mathematical Order-Galileo's Method (C) The Subjectivity of Secondary Qualities "(D) Motion, Space, and Time" (E) The Nature of Causality-God and the Physical World-Positivism CHAPTER IV: DESCARTES (A) Mathematics as the Key to Knowledge (B) Geometrical Conception of the Physical Universe "(C) "Res extensa" and "Res cogitans" (D) The Problem of Mind and Body CHAPTER V: SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY ENGLISH PHILOSOPHY (A) Hobbes' Attack on the Cartesian Dualism (B) Treatment of Secondary Qualities and Causality (C) More's Notion of Extension as a Category of Spirit "(D) The "Spirit of Nature" " (E) Space as the Divine Presence "(F) Barrow's Philosophy of Method, Space, and Time" CHAPTER VI: GILBERT AND BOYLE (A) The Non-Mathematical Scientific Current (B) Boyle's Importance as Scientist and Philosopher (C) Acceptance and Defence of the Mechanical World-View (D) Value of Qualitative and Teleological Explanations (E) Insistence on Reality of Secondary Qualities-Conception of Man (F) Pessimistic View of Human Knowledge-Positivism (G) Boyle's Philosophy of the Ether (H) God's Relation to the Mechanical World (I) Summary of the Pre-Newtonian Development CHAPTER VII: THE METAPHYSICS OF NEWTON Section 1: Newton's Method (A) The Mathematical Aspect (B) The Empirical Aspect "(C) Attack on "Hypotheses" (D) Newton's Union of Mathematics and Experiment Section 2: The Doctrine of Positivism "Section 3: Newton's General Conception of the World, and of Man's Relation to It" "Section 4: Space, Time, and Mass" (A) Mass (B) Space and Time (C) Criticism of Newton's Philosophy of Space and Time Section 5: Newton's Conception of the Ether (A) The Function of the Ether (B) Newton's Early Speculations (C) Development of a More Settled Theory Section 6: God-Creator and Preserver of the Order of the World (A) Newton as Theologian (B) God's Present Duties in the Cosmic Economy (C) The Historical Relations of Newton's Theism CHAPTER VIII: CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX