Scientific revolutions cluster →
Principia Mathematica
1687 CE
Isaac Newton formulates the laws of motion and universal gravitation.
Historical Context
By the late 17th century, Kepler's laws of planets and Galileo's laws of falling bodies existed, but no physical theory unified them. Edmond Halley pushed Newton to publish his calculations.
The Event
In 1687, Isaac Newton published the 'Principia Mathematica'. He stated the three laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation, proving that the same forces act on Earth and in the cosmos.
Key Figures
Isaac Newton (physicist), Edmond Halley (astronomer and patron of the work), Robert Hooke (scientific rival).
Aftermath
Unification of terrestrial and celestial mechanics. The work provided an absolute mathematical framework that dominated physics for over two centuries.
Legacy & Culture
It is the pinnacle of the Scientific Revolution. 'Newtonian mechanics' influenced not only science but also Enlightenment philosophy by depicting a clockwork, rational, predictable universe.
Historiography
Historians highlight Newton's genius but also his mysticism (a fervent alchemist). The posthumous rivalry with Leibniz over the invention of calculus remains an academic case study.
Sources and References
Voltaire, Éléments de la philosophie de Newton
Archives de la Royal Society de Londres
Semantic cluster
Scientific revolutions clusterCopernicus, Newton, Darwin, Einstein, DNA: knowledge tipping points.
Cluster internal links
- Previous (cluster)
The Copernican Revolution
1543
- Next (cluster)
Theory of Evolution
1859
- Same cluster
General Relativity
1915
- Same cluster
Discovery of DNA
1953
- Same cluster
First Long Count Dated Stela (Chiapa de Corzo)
36 BCE
- Same cluster
Amarna Revolution and Exclusive Aten Worship by Akhenaten
1353 BCE
- Semantic bridge
Tambora Eruption
1815
- Semantic bridge
Invention of the Printing Press
1454
- Semantic bridge
Discovery of Penicillin
1928
Sibling clusters