"In parte physicae theoretica Newtonum eiusque commentatores secutus sum": Leopold Gottlieb Biwald's physica generalis as a compendium propagating newtonian physics in Europe

• Autores: Cornelia Faustmann
• Localización: The Circulation of Science and Technology: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference of the European Society for the History of Science. Barcelona, 18-20 November 2010 / coord. por Antoni M. Roca Rosell, 2012, ISBN 978-84-9965-108-8, págs. 349-354
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Leopold Gottlieb Biwald’s physics textbook in two volumes, Physica Generalis and Physica Particularis (Graz 1767/1768), was very important in the 18th century. Widespread in whole Europe and officially designated for use at the universities and lyceums throughout the Habsburg monarchy by an imperial decree of 1779, it played an important role as a very up-to-date compendium propagating Newtonian physics. In his textbook Biwald, Jesuit and Professor in Graz (Austria) for decades, does not only refer to elements of Newton’s theory itself but also to several Newton-commentaries and uses various Newtonian textbooks. Biwald’s principal sources on the subject are compendia written by ’sGravesande, Keill, Maclaurin, Mako, Musschenbroek, Pemberton, and Scherffer. In this paper I analyze the Physica Generalis into which the most important elements of Newton’s theory found their way as an example of the propagation of Newtonian physics in Europe. Attention will be given to the following questions: Which sources are the most important for Biwald: Newton’s Principia, Newtoncommentaries or textbooks? Does Biwald focus on Jesuit sources when explaining Newtonian physics? Which is the geographical and cultural background of the authors of the Newtonian sources of the Physica Generalis? What does this aspect tell us about the (international) scientific (Jesuit) network in the 18th century and which new facets concerning the form of dissemination of the Newtonian theory in Europe result from that? In which aspects is Biwald’s textbook outstanding in comparison to its Newtonian sources, what are the author’s own specific achievements? Hence, how can the success of the Physica Generalis be judged in the pan-European context?