Non-Fiction Books:

Newton’s Sensorium: Anatomy of a Concept

Click to share your rating 0 ratings (0.0/5.0 average) Thanks for your vote!

Format:

Hardback
$295.00
Available from supplier

The item is brand new and in-stock with one of our preferred suppliers. The item will ship from a Mighty Ape warehouse within the timeframe shown.

Usually ships in 3-4 weeks
Free Delivery with Primate
Join Now

Free 14 day free trial, cancel anytime.

Buy Now, Pay Later with:

4 payments of $73.75 with Afterpay Learn more

6 weekly interest-free payments of $49.17 with Laybuy Learn more

Availability

Delivering to:

Estimated arrival:

  • Around 11-21 June using International Courier

Description

These chapters analyze texts from Isaac Newton’s work to shed new light on scientific understanding at his time. Newton used the concept of “sensorium” in writings intended for a public audience, in relation to both humans and God, but even today there is no consensus about the meaning of his term. The literal definition of the Latin term 'sensorium', or its English equivalent 'sensory', is 'thing that feels’ but this is a theoretical construct. The book takes readers on a process of discovery, through inquiry into both Newton’s concept and its underlying model. It begins with the human sensorium. This part of his concept is situated in the context of the aforesaid writings but also in the context of the writings of two of Newton's contemporaries, the physicians William Briggs and Thomas Willis, both of whom were at the forefront of their respective specialties of ophthalmology and neurology. Only once the human sensorium has been explored is it possible to generalize to the unobservable divine sensorium, because Newton's method of reasoning from experience requires that the second part of his concept is last in the order of knowledge. And the reason for this sequence is that his method, the short-hand term for which is 'analogy of nature', proceeds from that which has been observed to be universally true to that which is beyond the limits of observation. Consequently, generalization passes insensibly into reasoning by analogy. Readers will see how certain widespread assumptions can be called into question, such as that Newton was a theological voluntarist for whom the will is superior to the intellect, or that, for Newton, not only the world or universe but also God occupies the whole extent of infinite space. The insights afforded through this book will appeal to scholars of the philosophy of science, human physiology, philosophy of mind and epistemology, among others.

Author Biography:

In 1991 the author was elected a Fellow (1991) of the Australian Academy of the Humanities for contributions to musicological theory; in 2003 she was a recipient of the Centenary Medal for services to Australian Society and the Humanities in the Study of Philosophy.
Release date NZ
May 24th, 2018
Audiences
  • Professional & Vocational
  • Tertiary Education (US: College)
Edition
1st ed. 2018
Illustrations
6 Illustrations, black and white; XXV, 190 p. 6 illus.
Pages
190
ISBN-13
9783319720524
Product ID
27305010

Customer reviews

Nobody has reviewed this product yet. You could be the first!

Write a Review

Marketplace listings

There are no Marketplace listings available for this product currently.
Already own it? Create a free listing and pay just 9% commission when it sells!

Sell Yours Here

Help & options

Filed under...