A Miracle Creed: The Principle of Optimality in Leibniz's Physics and Philosophy

Description: A Miracle Creed by Jeffrey K. McDonough Estimated delivery 3-12 business days Format Hardcover Condition Brand New Description A rival to Isaac Newton in mathematics and physics, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz believed that our world--the best of all possible worlds--must be governed by a principle of optimality. This book explores Leibnizs pursuit of optimality in five of his most important works in natural philosophy and shows how his principle of optimality bridges his scientific and philosophical studies. The first chapter explores Leibnizs work on the laws of optics and its implicationsfor his defense of natural teleology. The second chapter examines Leibnizs work on the breaking strength of rigid beams and its implications for his thinking about the metaphysical foundations of thematerial world. The third chapter revisits Leibnizs famous defense of the conservation of vis viva and proposes a novel account of the origin of Leibnizs mature natural philosophy. The fourth chapter takes up Leibnizs efforts to determine the shape of freely hanging chains--the so-called problem of the catenary--and shows how that work provides an illuminating model for his thinking about the teleological structure of wills. Finally, the fifth chapter uses Leibnizs derivation ofthe path of quickest descent--his solution to the so-called problem of the Brachistochrone--and its historical context as a springboard for an exploration of the legacy of Leibnizs physics. The book closes witha brief discussion of the systematicity of Leibnizs thinking in philosophy and the natural sciences. Author Biography Jeffrey K. McDonough is a Professor of Philosophy at Harvard University. His research focuses on the intersection of philosophy, science, and religion in the early modern era. He has written numerous articles on philosophy in the early modern period. His edited volume on the history of the concept of teleology, Teleology: A History was recently published by Oxford University Press (2020). He is currently at work on a textbook on thephilosophy of religion entitled Saints, Heretics and Atheists: A Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion also to be published by Oxford University Press. Details ISBN 0197629075 ISBN-13 9780197629079 Title A Miracle Creed Author Jeffrey K. McDonough Format Hardcover Year 2022 Pages 250 Publisher Oxford University Press Inc GE_Item_ID:141603476; About Us Grand Eagle Retail is the ideal place for all your shopping needs! With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and over 1,000,000 in stock items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! Shipping & Delivery Times Shipping is FREE to any address in USA. Please view eBay estimated delivery times at the top of the listing. Deliveries are made by either USPS or Courier. We are unable to deliver faster than stated. International deliveries will take 1-6 weeks. NOTE: We are unable to offer combined shipping for multiple items purchased. This is because our items are shipped from different locations. Returns If you wish to return an item, please consult our Returns Policy as below: Please contact Customer Services and request "Return Authorisation" before you send your item back to us. Unauthorised returns will not be accepted. Returns must be postmarked within 4 business days of authorisation and must be in resellable condition. Returns are shipped at the customer's risk. We cannot take responsibility for items which are lost or damaged in transit. For purchases where a shipping charge was paid, there will be no refund of the original shipping charge. Additional Questions If you have any questions please feel free to Contact Us. Categories Baby Books Electronics Fashion Games Health & Beauty Home, Garden & Pets Movies Music Sports & Outdoors Toys

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End Time: 2024-11-21T06:03:13.000Z

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