Isaac Newton on the Action at a Distance in Gravity: With or Without God?

By Nicolae Sfetcu

The interpretation of Isaac Newton's texts has sparked controversy to this day. One of the most heated debates relates to the action between two bodies distant from each other (the gravitational attraction), and to what extent Newton involved God in this case. Practically, most of the papers discuss four types of gravitational attractions in the case of remote bodies: direct distance action as intrinsic property of bodies in epicurean sense; direct remote action divinely mediated by God; remote action mediated by a material ether; or remote action mediated by an immaterial ether. The purpose of this paper is to argue that Newton categorically rejected the types of direct action as the intrinsic property of bodies, and remote action mediated by a material ether. Concerning the other two types of action, direct through divine intervention and mediated through an immaterial environment, Newton has repeatedly stated that he does not know the exact cause of gravity, but in both cases, he has 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 recognition of direct distance action could have given some credit to those who thought gravity could be essential to matter, and hence to atheism, Newton never openly acknowledged the possibility of such an idea.

CONTENTS

Abstract
Introduction
Principia
Correspondence with Richard Bentley
Queries in Opticks
Conclusions
Bibliography

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.25823.92320

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nicolae Sfetcu
• Release date: Feb 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9786060332039

Nicolae Sfetcu

Owner and manager with MultiMedia SRL and MultiMedia Publishing House. Project Coordinator for European Teleworking Development Romania (ETD) Member of Rotary Club Bucuresti Atheneum Cofounder and ex-president of the Mehedinti Branch of Romanian Association for Electronic Industry and Software Initiator, cofounder and president of Romanian Association for Telework and Teleactivities Member of Internet Society Initiator, cofounder and ex-president of Romanian Teleworking Society Cofounder and ex-president of the Mehedinti Branch of the General Association of Engineers in Romania Physicist engineer - Bachelor of Science (Physics, Major Nuclear Physics). Master of Philosophy.

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Isaac Newton on the action at a distance in gravity: With or without God?

Nicolae Sfetcu

Published by MultiMedia Publishing

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Copyright 2019 Nicolae Sfetcu

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This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/.

Sfetcu, Nicolae, Isaac Newton on the action at a distance in gravity: With or without God?, MultiMedia (February 16, 2019), MultiMedia Publishing (ed.), DOI: 10.58679/TW14959, ISBN: 978-606-033-203-9, URL = https://www.telework.ro/en/e-books/isaac-newton-on-the-action-at-a-distance-in-gravity-with-or-without-god/

A translation of:

Sfetcu, Nicolae, Isaac Newton despre acțiunea la distanță în gravitație - Cu sau fără Dumnezeu?, SetThings (22 ianuarie 2018), MultiMedia (ed.), URL = https://www.telework.ro/ro/e-books/isaac-newton-despre-actiunea-la-distanta-gravitatie-cu-sau-fara-dumnezeu/

Abstract

The interpretation of Isaac Newton's texts has sparked controversy to this day. One of the most heated debates relates to the action between two bodies distant from each other (the gravitational attraction), and to what extent Newton involved God in this case. Practically, most of the papers discuss four types of gravitational attractions in the case of remote bodies: direct distance action as intrinsic property of bodies in epicurean sense; direct remote action divinely mediated by God; remote action mediated by a material ether; or remote action mediated by an immaterial ether. The purpose of this paper is to argue that Newton categorically rejected the types of direct action as the intrinsic property of bodies, and remote action mediated by a material ether. Concerning the other two types of action, direct through divine intervention and mediated through an immaterial environment, Newton has repeatedly stated that he does not know the exact cause of gravity, but in both cases, he has directly involved God, directly in the first case and as the primary cause (the environment/ether being the secondary cause) in