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David Gregory and Newtonian Science

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 January 2009

Christina M. Eagles
Christina M. Eagles
Affiliation:
Department of History, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JY.
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Extract

The purpose of this article is to point out that, contrary to popular belief, David Gregory did not lecture on the Newtonian philosophy when he was Professer of Mathematics at Edinburgh University. This belief has arisen because of a statement of Whiston's which attributes to David a paper written by his younger brother James. Nevertheless, some of David's Edinburgh students were acquainted with Newton's work, and I shall examine the extent to which this was so, and look at the other sources which he used in his teaching. Finally, Gregory's attitudes are seen to be typical of those prevailing in the Scottish universities of his day.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal for the History of Science , Volume 10 , Issue 3 , November 1977 , pp. 216 - 225
Copyright
Copyright © British Society for the History of Science 1977

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References

NOTES

I would like to thank the Royal Society for a grant towards the expenses of this research.

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3 These untitled theses were published at Edinburgh in 1690. I have used the printed copy in Aberdeen University Library, MS. 48/E.I, and a manuscript copy in Edinburgh University Library (henceforth cited as EUL), MS. Dc.6.12.

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9 EUL MS. Dc.1.61, items 188, 190, and 193.

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