“We must grasp the essential contrast between the whole modern world-view and that of previous thought, and use that clearly conceived contrast as a guiding clue to pick out for criticism and evaluation, in the light of their historical development, every one of our significant modern presuppositions.”
Edwin Arthur Burtt, The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Physical Science (London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., 1925), p.16.
Edwin Arthur Burtt, The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Physical Science (London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., 1925), p.16.
8 comments:
I'm more interested in the title of Burtt's tome, what his main thesis is and why you should be reading that particular work.
It is an excellent book, dealing mainly with the rejection of Aristotelian metaphysics and the rise of the mechanical philosophy in the seventeenth century.
My daughter says "Aristotle's the Man". I say "Perhaps so, but his physics is rubbish."
At which point did this rejection take place - the C17th or earlier, leading to the MP rise later?
Dearieme, I should like to marry your daughter.
Mr Higham: "At which point did this rejection take place . . . ?"
Gradually with the breakdown of, and reaction against, scholasticism -- for instance, Petrus Ramus (d. 1572) was not an admirer -- but especially from the seventeenth century onwards.
Deogolwulf - thank you. Re Dearieme's daughter, she's already betrothed to me.
If you, like me, prefer to read old fashioned printed books rather than digital versions, you might like to take a look at Abe Books. http://www.abebooks.co.uk/ for their UK website or .com for their US website. There are quite a few ex-library copies of Burtt's tome available there, all for less than a tenner including postage.
Thank you, Mr Highwayman. I do prefer to read printed books, but I have spent a small fortune on them, and have had to cut costs. Furthermore, I simply could not afford to buy all the books which I have found online.
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