Bernard Nieuwentijt, Nieuwentijdt, or Nieuwentyt (10 August 1654, West-Graftdijk, North Holland – 30 May 1718, Purmerend) was a Dutch philosopher, mathematician, physician, magistrate, mayor (of Purmerend), and theologian. As a philosopher, he was a follower of Descartes and an opponent of Spinoza.
He wrote several books (in Dutch) including his chief work Het regt gebruik der werelt beschouwingen, ter overtuiginge van ongodisten en ongelovigen [The True Use of World-Concepts] (1715), which argued for the existence of God and attacked Spinoza.[1] It went through several editions (1715, 1717, 1720, 1725, 1730, 1740) published by Joannes Pauli, and was translated into English as The Existence of God, shown by the Wonders of Nature and into French as De l'existence de Dieu démontrée par les merveilles de la nature, ou traité téléologique dirigé contre la doctrine de Spinoza par un médecin hollandais. Voltaire owned a copy of this book, and it was an influence on William Paley. Nieuwentyt's posthumously published Gronden van zekerheid argued Spinoza's 'geometrical method' was not the proper 'experimental method' of science.[1]
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