Isaac Newton's occult studies
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| The life of Isaac Newton |
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| Writing Principia |
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Certain (largely unpublished) works of Isaac Newton included much that would now be classified as occult studies. He worked extensively outside the strict bounds of science and mathematics, particularly on chronology, alchemy, and Biblical interpretation (especially of the Apocalypse). Much of his writing on alchemy may have been lost in a fire in his laboratory, so the true extent of his work in this area may have been larger than is currently known. He also suffered a 'nervous breakdown' during his period of alchemical work, which is thought by some due to the psychological transformation that alchemy was originally designed to induce, though there is also speculation it may have been some form of chemical poisoning (possibly from mercury, lead, or some other substance).
It is, however, somewhat anachronistic to assume that the importance he attached to these is closely connected to contemporary attitudes. The work modern observers would call scientific were perhaps to him of lesser importance; Newton was a product of his time in that he still placed emphasis on rediscovering the occult wisdom of the ancients. In this sense, the common reference to the "Newtonian Worldview" as purely mechanistic is somewhat misguided, as John Maynard Keynes observed in 1942 after purchasing and studying Newton's alchemical works:
"Newton was not the first of the age of reason, he was the last of the magicians." -- John Maynard Keynes
[edit] Speculations regarding Newton's beliefs
- Newton believed that Pythagoras must have known about Gravity, and even toyed with the idea of including margin notes attesting it.
- Newton, for that reason, did not use his "fluxions," but rather geometric proofs which he thought would have been more accessible to geometers of Pythagoras's era.
- Newton also believed that the Hebrews before the Great Flood knew of the atomic structure of matter.
[edit] References
- "The Foundations of Newton's Alchemy" by Sir William Sherrell of the Royal Society[citation needed]
[edit] External links
- "Introducing Newton's Alchemical Papers" (from the Newton Project)
- "The Chymistry of Issac Newton" including teaching resources (part of the Newton Project)
- Newton's Dark Secrets
- Nova Episode "Newton's Dark Secrets" on Google Video
- Isaac Newton and Astrology
