Newton's Scientific Method in Optics

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Abstract

It is generally supposed that from the beginning of his inquiries, Newton applied a special method in his scholarly researches on the nature and his two influential works, Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy and Optics, are the product of applying such a method. However, Einstein has warned us that if want to know the physicists' methods, we should pay attention to their actions not to their speeches. Keeping his warning in view, the author firstly attempts to evaluate Newton's scientific methodology appeared in the different editions of his Optics. Secondly, he tries to present what Newton has done in reality, which divulges the contradictions between what he has expressed and what he has done, and which reveals that there weren't any set of methodological principles in the beginning

Keywords

References

 

1. Bartley, III, W.W. (1968) "Theories of Demarcation between Science and       Metaphysics" in I. Lakatos and A.. Musgrave, eds. (1968) Problems in The Philosophy of Science ( Amsterdam , North-Holland). 
2. Cohen I. B. (1979) "Preface", to I. Newton (1704/1730) OPTICKS: or A Treatise  of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections and Colours of Light, 4th ed. ( New York . Dover Publications. 1952). 
3. Hall A.R.. (1983) The Revolution in Science: 1500-1700 ( London , Longman).
 
4. Kuhn T.S. (1977) "The Function of Measurement in Modern Physical Science", in T.S. Kuhn (1977) 
5. Kuhn T.S. (1977) The Essential Tension (Chicago, Chicago U.P.). 
6. L. Laudan (1983) "The Demise of Demarcation Problem", R.S. Cohen and L. Laudan, eds. (1983) Physics, Philosophy, and Psychoanalysis ( Dordrecht , D. Reidel Pub. Co. ) 
7. NewtonI. (1692) "Letter to Richard Bentley", in H.S. Thayer, ed. (1953).
 8. NewtonI. (1704/1730) OPTICKS ( New York . Dover , 1952).
 9. Newton I. (1973) "Introduction", The Unpublished First Version of Isaac Newton's Lectures on Optics ( CambridgeUniversity Library).
 10. Popper K.R. (1959/1980) The Logic of Scientific Discovery ( London , Hutchinson ).
 11. Popper K.R. (1963/72) Conjectures and Refutations ( London , RKP).
 12. Quine W.V. (1969) "Epistemology Naturalized", in W.V. Quine (1969) Ontological Relativity and Other Essays ( New York , Columbia U.P.).
 13. Thayer, H.S. ed. (1953) Newton's Philosophy of Nature: Selections from His Writings ( New York , Hafner Press).
 14. Verlet, L. (1996) "F=ma and the Newtonian Revolution: An Exit from Religion through Religion" History of Science, no 34 (1996).
 15. Westfall, R. (1977) The Construction of Modern Science: Mechanisms and Mechanics ( Cambridge , Cambridge U.P..).
16. Westfall, R. (1994) The Life of Isaac Newton ( Cambridge , Cambridge U.P.)
1. diffraction
2. hypotheses
3. ر.ک. به:
I. Newton (1704/1730) OPTICKS or A Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections and Colours of Light, 4th ed. ( New York . Dover Publications. 1952).
[4]. I. Bernard Cohen مورخ علم‌شناس آمریکایی معاصر
[5]. I. B. Cohen (1979) "Preface", to I. Newton (1952) OPTICKS: P. xxiii-xxiv.
[6] A. Rupert Hall مورخ علم‌شناس آمریکایی معاصر
[7]. A.R. Hall (1983) The Revolution in Science: 1500-1700: P. 325.
[8]. R. Westfall (1994) The Life of Isaac Newton: P. 253.
[9]. Lectiones Opticae
[10]. medium
[11]. Sensorium
[12]. inflection
[13]. impulse
[14]. cohesion
[15]. occult
16. ر.ک. به
W.W. Barteley (1968) "Theories of Demarcation between Science and Metaphysics" in I. Lakatos and A. Musgrave, eds. (1968).
L. Laudan (1983) "The Demise of Demarcation Problem", R.S. Cohen and L. Laudan, eds. (1983).
W.V. Quine (1969) Ontological Relativity and Other Essays ( New York , Columbia U.P.).
[17]. Method of Analysis
[18] Method of Composition
[19]. Synthesis
[20]. Thomas Young (1773-1829) فیلسوف طبیعی انگلیسی قرن نوزدهم
[21]. Augustin Fresnel (1788-1827)فیزیکدان فرانسوی قرن نوزدهم
[22]. I. Bernard Cohen (1979) "Preface" to Opticks: P. xiv.
[23]. Thomas Kuhn (1922-96) فیلسوف و مورخ علم‌شناس معاصر آمریکایی
[24]. Atwood machine
[25]. T.S. Kuhn (1977) "The Function of Measurement in Modern Physical Science", in T.S. Kuhn (1977): P. 189-90.
کارل پاپر نیز مشاهدة حدوداً مشابهی دربارة نظریة اینشتاین دارد و قائل است که تمام تلاشها برای نشان دادن اینکه آن نظریه کمابیش مستقیماً بر مشاهدات ابتنا شده بود متقاعدکننده نبود. وی سپس اضافه می‌کند که «این امر حتی در مورد نظریة نیوتن هم صادق بود». ر.ک. به K. Popper (1963) Conjectures and Refutations: P. 255.
[26]. Royal Society of London
[27]. speculations
[28]. I. B. Cohen (1979) "Preface", to OPTICKS: P. xxxiii.
[29]. I. Newton (1704/1730) OPTICKS: P. 348-9.
[30]. Richard Westfall (1924-1996) مورخ علم‌شناس معاصر آمریکایی
[31]. R. Westfall (1977) The Construction of Modern Science: P. 157.
[32]. Loup Verlet (1996) "F=ma and the Newtonian Revolution: An Exit from Religion through Religion":P. 309.
[33]. KR. Popper (1959/1980) The Logic of Scientific Discovery: P. 111.
Send comment about this article
CAPTCHA Image

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics