Isaac Newton sur l'action à distance en gravitation : Avec ou sans Dieu ?

Sfetcu, Nicolae Isaac Newton sur l'action à distance en gravitation : Avec ou sans Dieu ?, 2019 [Preprint]

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English abstract

The interpretation of Isaac Newton's texts has caused controversy to this day. One of the most heated debates concerns the action between two bodies distant from each other (gravitational attraction), and the extent to which Newton involved God in this case. Practically, most articles deal with four types of gravitational attractions in the case of distant bodies: direct action at distance as an intrinsic property of bodies in the Epicurean sense of the term; direct action at a distance divinely mediated by God; action at a distance mediated by a material ether; or action at a distance mediated by an immaterial ether. The purpose of this article is to argue that Newton categorically rejected the types of direct action as an intrinsic property of bodies and action at a distance mediated by a material ether. Regarding the other two types of actions, direct by divine intervention and mediated by an immaterial environment, Newton repeatedly said that he did not know the exact cause of gravity, but in both cases he had directly involved God, directly in the first case. and as the primary cause (the environment/ether being the secondary cause) in immaterial mediated action. But since the recognition of direct action at a distance might have given some credence to those who thought that gravity could be essential to matter, and therefore to atheism, Newton never openly recognized the possibility of such idea. Toward the end of his life, Newton leaned more toward action at a distance mediated by an immaterial ether.

French abstract

L'interprétation des textes d'Isaac Newton a suscité une controverse à ce jour. L'un des débats les plus animés a trait à l'action entre deux corps distants l'un de l'autre (l'attraction gravitationnelle), et à la mesure dans laquelle Newton a impliqué Dieu dans ce cas. Pratiquement, la plupart des articles traitent quatre types d’attractions gravitationnelles dans le cas des corps distants : l’action directe à la distance en tant que propriété intrinsèque des corps au sens épicurien du terme ; action directe à distance divinement médiée par Dieu ; action à distance médiée par un éther matériel ; ou action à distance médiée par un éther immatériel. Le but de cet article est d'argumenter que Newton a catégoriquement rejeté les types d'action directe en tant que propriété intrinsèque des corps et l'action à distance médiée par un éther matériel. En ce qui concerne les deux autres types d’actions, directe par intervention divine et médiatisée par un environnement immatériel, Newton a répété à plusieurs reprises qu’il ne connaissait pas la cause exacte de la gravité, mais dans les deux cas, il avait directement impliqué Dieu, directement dans le premier cas. et comme cause principale (l'environnement/éther étant la cause secondaire) dans l'action médiatisée immatérielle. Mais comme la reconnaissance de l'action directe à distance aurait pu donner quelque crédit à ceux qui pensaient que la gravité pouvait être essentielle à la matière, et donc à l'athéisme, Newton n'a jamais ouvertement reconnu la possibilité d'une telle idée. Vers la fin de sa vie, Newton s'est penché davantage vers une action à distance médiée par un éther immatériel.

Item type: Preprint
Keywords: Isaac Newton, action à distance, gravitation, Dieu, attraction gravitationnelle
Subjects: D. Libraries as physical collections. > DI. Science libraries.
Depositing user: Nicolae Sfetcu
Date deposited: 30 Dec 2023 10:34
Last modified: 30 Dec 2023 10:34
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10760/45194

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Nicolae Sfetcu : Isaac Newton sur l'action à distance en gravitation: Avec ou sans Dieu? 18

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