Article ID: CBB574611813

The Impeccable Credentials of an Untrained Philosopher: Willem Jacob's Gravesande's Career Before His Leiden Professorship, 1688–1717 (2016)

unapi

The mathematician, physicist and philosopher W. J. 's Gravesande is particularly known for his adherence to ‘Newtonian philosophy’. Currently, it is widely held that 's Gravesande got his main inspiration for his scholarly calling from Newton himself, whom he met in 1715 during a first career as a lawyer; and that it was mainly Newton's own intervention that ensured the appointment of the unqualified 's Gravesande at Leiden University. I challenge these views by bringing together all currently known information about 's Gravesande, including a number of as yet unused documents. I show that 's Gravesande's appointment resulted from a very carefully built up reputation in scholarly circles rather than from accidental meetings and patronage. 's Gravesande had written several innovative papers and was in contact with both leading mathematicians and local political and patrician figures already before 1715. This article therefore explains the rationale behind his appointment in Leiden.

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Authors & Contributors
Nyden, Tammy
Hanne van Dijk
Sangiacomo, Andrea
Carolien Reus
Hans Mulder
Delft, Marieke Van
Concepts
Natural philosophy
Biographies
Physics
Science and religion
Cartesianism
Newtonianism
Time Periods
17th century
18th century
Early modern
19th century
16th century
Places
Netherlands
Leiden (Netherlands)
Europe
Italy
Germany
Tuscany (Italy)
Institutions
Académie des Sciences, Paris
Royal Society of London
Universiteit Leiden
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