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Qualities, Properties, and Laws in Newton's Induction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

David Marshall Miller
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Abstract

Newton's argument for universal gravitation in the Principia eventually rested on the third “Rule of Philosophizing,” which warrants the generalization of “qualities of bodies.” An analysis of the rule and the history of its development indicate that the term ‘quality’ should be taken to include both inherent properties of bodies and relations among systems of bodies, generalized into ‘laws'. By incorporating law-induction into the rule, Newton could legitimately rebuff objections to his theory by claiming that universal gravitation was justified by his method even if he could not specify the cause of gravity.

Type
Research Article
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 76 , Issue 5 , December 2009 , pp. 1052 - 1063
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

‡

This paper has profited greatly from discussions with Andrew Janiak, Eric Schliesser, and Ken Winkler. Thanks also to Ori Belkind, Tad Schmaltz, and audiences in Ghent, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia.

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