The 18th and 19th
Centuries
Outcome
of the Scientific Revolution of XVI and XVII:
n Newtonianism
n Mechanism triumphs
n De la Mettrie,
L’homme
machine Actual text on line.
Laplace,
Celestial Mechanics
n Planetary irregularities
resolved
n Increased speed of Jupiter
and decreased speed of Saturn due to their interaction
The
Enlightenment
n Reason would reveal the laws
of nature
n Know God through the study
of nature
n John Locke,
Essay on Human Understanding
n The mind a blank slate (tabula rasa)
n Mathematical analysis in the
style of
n Search for the natural laws
of society
n Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations The full text
on line.