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Full text release has been delayed at the author's request until August 07, 2025

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Berkeley on the Relationship Between Metaphysics and Natural Science

Harkema, Scott
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4638-6979
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1658148201130842

Abstract Details

2022, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Philosophy.
This dissertation is a collection of four papers on George Berkeley and the role of metaphysics in natural science. Each paper addresses a separate scientific concept and examines Berkeley’s critique of the application of that concept in demonstrations within physics and the mathematical principles of physics. These concepts are quantity of matter (i.e. mass) in chapter one, percussive force (i.e. impact) in chapter two, true motion in chapter three, and the fluxions of the calculus in chapter four. In each case, Berkeley directs his attention to the ontology of that concept. This attention manifests itself primarily in two ways. First, in some cases Berkeley recognizes that certain metaphysical assumptions about the nature of the entity in question influence (oftentimes in negative ways) the way natural philosophers develop and interpret the claims of their scientific theories. Second, in some cases Berkeley argues that a proper understanding of the entity in question (based in his idealist metaphysics) can rectify errors in the way natural philosophers develop and interpret the claims of their scientific theories. On the whole, Berkeley is concerned to show not just that the physics of his time is compatible with his metaphysics of idealism, but further that physics is more fully and properly understood only when founded on his idealism.
Chris Pincock (Committee Member)
Lisa Shabel (Committee Member)
Lisa Downing (Advisor)
135 p.
Philosophy; Philosophy of Science
George Berkeley Early Modern Philosophy History of Science Natural Philosophy Isaac Newton Foundations of Physics

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Harkema, S. (2022). Berkeley on the Relationship Between Metaphysics and Natural Science [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1658148201130842

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Harkema, Scott. Berkeley on the Relationship Between Metaphysics and Natural Science. 2022. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1658148201130842.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Harkema, Scott. "Berkeley on the Relationship Between Metaphysics and Natural Science." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1658148201130842

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1658148201130842
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.