Leibniz's "hypothesis physica nova"

a conjunction of models for explaining phenomena

François Duchesneau

pp. 153-170

in: James BROWN, Jürgen Mittelstrass (eds), An intimate relation, Berlin, Springer, 1989

Abstract

Commentators like Hannequin,¹ Dugas,² and Gueroult³ have tended to consider the Hypothesis physica nova (1671)⁴, dedicated to the Royal Society, as a mere appendix to the Theoria motus abstracti, which Leibniz had sent that same year to the Académie des sciences in Paris. Both texts were intended as shows of skill on behalf of the young German philosopher in the area of natural philosophy, at the time he was planning his diplomatic mission to France. When Oldenburg, secretary of the Royal Society, received the Hypothesis, he requested Leibniz to send him a copy of the Theoria so as to cast more light on his theses in physics.⁵ Also Wallis, who had been mandated to examine these for the Royal Society, did not fail to consider the Theoria as the true ground for the Hypothesis and to agree that the object of physics cannot be analyzed without resorting to reasons in geometry. Leibniz himself connected the physical construction, which is real yet exact, with the geometrical construction, which is both imaginary and exact.⁶ He was convinced that everything in the physical world obeys the laws of phoronomia elementalis. However, these abstract laws do not suffice to account for the determination of material parts to circular motion nor for the effects resulting from mass.

Cited authors

Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm