Newton on the Ganges: Asiatic Enlightenment of British Astronomy

Historian Simon Schaffer, the 2008 Harry Camp Memorial Lecturer, spoke on Newton's fascination with discoveries about ancient Indian philosophy and discussed the global network of information on which Newton relied for his Principia Mathematica. Schaffer is the co-author, with Steven Shapin, of "Leviathan and the Air Pump" (1985) and joint winner of the 2005 Erasmus Prize. Recent publications include edited collections "The Sciences in Enlightened Europe" (1999) and "The Mindful Hand" (2007).

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• Schaffer
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• Historian
• Newton
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[thetricon69]

Newton was a natural inquisitive type.

[CathySander]

@wraggem: Come to think of it...I was displaying my own naive reactions. Now I know better. Thanks!

[wraggem]

Cathy - you clearly haven't understood the gist of the talk! He's describing the self-perception that the colonial British had, not his own modern opinions!