The oddness of Isaac Newton

[Nearly Sane]

To be honest, not entirely sure where this review of new book on Newton fits as it concentrates on his religious beliefs. Interesting stuff though.

https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/public/isaac-newton-oddness/

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Is Newton's story one of Non overlapping magisteria or partially overlapping magisterial? It seems that science benefits from Newtons mysticism and religion as it may have done in Clark Maxwells case.
Careful now everyone, I feel religion loses nothing if one denies any such cross fertilisation but POMA might.

How do modern folk feel about the possibility Newtons ambition of refuting Athanasius exercising him more than his scientific pursuits?

[Sriram]

To be honest, not entirely sure where this review of new book on Newton fits as it concentrates on his religious beliefs. Interesting stuff though.

https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/public/isaac-newton-oddness/

Most genuine thinkers were philosophers first and scientists next. Their quest was never complete merely with understanding physical laws. They always sought answers beyond that. 

Its in the mid 20th century that people (Dawkins.) latched on to religions like Christianity and Islam and made a big song and dance about them.   This created an artificial gap and this is where hard Scientism came into the picture.

[Nearly Sane]

Most genuine thinkers were philosophers first and scientists next. Their quest was never complete merely with understanding physical laws. They always sought answers beyond that. 

Its in the mid 20th century that people (Dawkins.) latched on to religions like Christianity and Islam and made a big song and dance about them.   This created an artificial gap and this is where hard Scientism came into the picture.

Giordano Bruno might beg to differ.

[Harrowby Hall]

I went to the same school as Isaac Newton - not at the same time, but I suspect he and I may have shared the same teachers ....

I have long suspected that were Newton alive today he would be diagnosed as very autistic (possibly Asperger). His relationships with other people appear frequently to have been ... confrontational. There was a story in the school of him taking on the school bully - repeatedly and repeatedly being beaten - until, one final time when he thrashed the bully. There is no record of him ever having any relationship with a woman - leading to suggestions that he died a virgin. He did keep pet animals, however, and has been credited with the invention of the cat flap.

Had there have been a general understanding of his theological views would that have prevented his burial in Westminster Abbey?

[jeremyp]

Is Newton's story one of Non overlapping magisteria or partially overlapping magisterial? It seems that science benefits from Newtons mysticism and religion as it may have done in Clark Maxwells case.
Careful now everyone, I feel religion loses nothing if one denies any such cross fertilisation but POMA might.

How do modern folk feel about the possibility Newtons ambition of refuting Athanasius exercising him more than his scientific pursuits?

I'm sure Newton viewed his scientific work as a tribute to his god. He and his contemporaries thought they were calling attention to god's wonder by mapping out how his creation worked.

Of course, today, we respect Newton in spite of his weird beliefs not because of them.

[jeremyp]

I went to the same school as Isaac Newton - not at the same time, but I suspect he and I may have shared the same teachers ....

I have long suspected that were Newton alive today he would be diagnosed as very autistic (possibly Asperger). His relationships with other people appear frequently to have been ... confrontational. There was a story in the school of him taking on the school bully - repeatedly and repeatedly being beaten - until, one final time when he thrashed the bully. There is no record of him ever having any relationship with a woman - leading to suggestions that he died a virgin. He did keep pet animals, however, and has been credited with the invention of the cat flap.

|It's entirely possible he was gay. He did have a close relationship with another man, although the evidence that it was not platonic does not really exist.

It's curious to me that anybody would care whether the founder of physics, possibly the greatest scientist ever, had sex or not. I can imagine some mediocre non entity in a pub saying "well, he may have discovered the laws of motion and gravity, invented calculus and made key discoveries in optics, but at least I had a shag last night".

Had there have been a general understanding of his theological views would that have prevented his burial in Westminster Abbey?

He didn't recognise the Trinity (more evidence he was no fool) so was probably a heretic in the terms of the time.

[Harrowby Hall]

|It's entirely possible he was gay. He did have a close relationship with another man, although the evidence that it was not platonic does not really exist.

It's curious to me that anybody would care whether the founder of physics, possibly the greatest scientist ever, had sex or not. I can imagine some mediocre non entity in a pub saying "well, he may have discovered the laws of motion and gravity, invented calculus and made key discoveries in optics, but at least I had a shag last night".

I suspect - being aware of prevailing attitudes to homosexuality over the last few centuries - it was safer to categorise him as a virgin than as gay.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

It's curious to me that anybody would care whether the founder of physics, possibly the greatest scientist ever, had sex or not. I can imagine some mediocre non entity in a pub saying "well, he may have discovered the laws of motion and gravity, invented calculus and made key discoveries in optics, but at least I had a shag last night".

So, Newton never had a Large Hardon collider.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

He didn't recognise the Trinity (more evidence he was no fool) so was probably a heretic in the terms of the time.

How do you feel about the possibility of him being more taken up with refuting the trinity than being just the warm up act for Hawking and Krauss?

[ippy]

|It's entirely possible he was gay. He did have a close relationship with another man, although the evidence that it was not platonic does not really exist.

It's curious to me that anybody would care whether the founder of physics, possibly the greatest scientist ever, had sex or not. I can imagine some mediocre non entity in a pub saying "well, he may have discovered the laws of motion and gravity, invented calculus and made key discoveries in optics, but at least I had a shag last night".
He didn't recognise the Trinity (more evidence he was no fool) so was probably a heretic in the terms of the time.

I'll go with your post j p I particularly liked the delicacy of phrase reference to Newton's sex life: '  but at least I had a shag last night".

It definitely brought a smile to the old fisog, have you ever seriously thought of taking up writing prose?

Regards ippy