Religion, Science, and Worldview Essays in Honor of Richard S. Westfall [Paperback]

Essays on Sir Isaac Newton; science and religion; and historiographical and social studies of science.This collection of original essays honors Richard S. Westfall, a highly influential scholar in the history of the physical sciences and their relations with religion. It is divided into three parts: the life, work, and influence of Newton; science and religion; and historiographical and social studies of science.This collection of original essays honors Richard S. Westfall, a highly influential scholar in the history of the physical sciences and their relations with religion. It is divided into three parts: the life, work, and influence of Newton; science and religion; and historiographical and social studies of science.This collection of original essays by his former graduate students and colleagues honors Richard S. Westfall, a highly influential scholar in the history of the physical sciences and their relations with religion. The book is divided into three parts that reflect Professor Westfall's scholarly interests and activity: the life, work, and influence of Newton; science and religion; and historiographical and social studies of science. These contributions represent a variety of approaches to the history of science, including the development of scientific ideas per se, the influence of philosophical and religious ideas on the development of science, and the study of science as a social activity. This valuable collection demonstrates the wide scope of Professor Westfall's influence on his students and on the scholarly community as a whole.List of illustrations; Preface; Acknowledgments; Part I. Newtonian Studies: 1. Conceptual problems in Newton's early chemistry: a preliminary study B. J. T. Dobbs; 2. The significance of Newton's Principia for empiricism Ernan McMullin; 3. The defective diagram as an analytical device in Newton's Principia J. Bruce Brackenridge; 4. Force, electricity, and the powers of living matter in Newton's mature philosophy of nature lc-