Science and Culture in the 18th Century: Isaac Newton

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Isaac Newton (1642–1727) has a unique place in the history of science. His theories replaced Aristotelian mechanics and caused a paradigm shift in the outlook on the workings of the universe. The emphasis he put on experimental approach was essential for the transformation of natural philosophy into science (1). Newton's theory of gravity was universal in the sense that it explained both common phenomena such as the falling of objects and astronomical events such as the movements of celestial bodies and comet trajectories. Such wide application impressed not only his fellow scientists but also poets and philosophers, including the greatest skeptic of all, Voltaire (1694–1698). Voltaire, a vocal advocate of Newton's work, stressed how Newton was able to address the fundamental issues during a time when “it seemed to the wisest that it was temerarious even to dare to think one could guess by what laws the heavenly bodies move and how light works” (2). Thus, Newtonianism, the concept that the universe was governed by rational laws, and that theories need to be underpinned by experiments, became an important part of Enlightenment thinking 3, 4). Newton was Lucasian Professor of Mathematics in Cambridge from 1669 to 1701, and in 1696 became Warden, and then Master, of the Royal …