Tradition and Innovation

These essays on Newton's thought are concerned with the central categories of Newton's metaphysics of nature (matter, causation, force, space, time) and the ways in which Newton's work relates to cultural themes such as providence and creation. Focusing on questions of tradition and innovation, and Newton's engaged response to the broader patterns of his contemporary culture, they present a unified, interpretive stance that often challenges the scholarly orthodoxies. The essays contain material that is related exegetically to the corpus of Newton's published writings. Accordingly, they aim to provide a basis for understanding and clarifying the inner dynamics of Newton's thought.