The Short History of Science or the Long Path to the Union of Metaphysics and Empiricism

Jul 6, 2026

Upload by Noah

A concise historical and conceptual survey of how scientific thinking bridges antique metaphysics and empirical science. It traces major shifts from Copernicus through Newton, analyzes key developments in light, mechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, and relativity, and extends the narrative toward quantum mechanics. The work presents basic postulates and open questions, evaluates natural-science theories using economy, and outlines a dynamic-universe perspective with observations of energy, time, and cosmic structure.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages258

Reading Time6 h 37 min

Preface

Introduction

From Antique Metaphysics to Empirical Science

Antique inheritance

The structure of the universe

The structure of matter

Toward the modern era

Basic Concepts

Dynamic Universe

Evaluation of Theories on Natural Sciences

Appendix I. Biography Gallery

PHYSICS FOUNDATIONS SOCIETY THE FINNISH SOCIETY FOR NATURAL PHILOSOPHY THE SHORT HISTORY OF SCIENCE – or the long path to the union of metaphysics and empiricism Third, complemented edition TUOMO SUNTOLA PHYSICS FOUNDATIONS SOCIETY THE FINNISH SOCIETY FOR NATURAL PHILOSOPHY THE SHORT HISTORY OF SCIENCE – or the long path to the union of metaphysics and empiricism Third, complemented edition TUOMO SUNTOLA PHYSICS FOUNDATIONS SOCIETY THE FINNISH SOCIETY FOR NATURAL PHILOSOPHY [www.physicsfoundations.org / www.lfs.fi](www.physicsfoundations.org / www.lfs.fi) [E-BOOK](E-BOOK) ([PDF](PDF)) Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License Cover: Thales (ca. 625–546 BC, Wikimedia Commons) Pictures in Biography Gallery, Wikimedia Commons Copyright © 2018 Tuomo Suntola. ISBN 978-952-68101-6-4 (hardcover) ISBN 978-952-68101-7-1 (PDF) To the great thinkers…through times. Contents PREFACE 11 INTRODUCTION 13 1. FROM ANTIQUE METAPHYSICS TO EMPIRICAL SCIENCE 17 Antique inheritance 17 The structure ofthe universe 19 The structure ofmatter 24 Toward the modern era 27 From Copernicus’s solar system to Newton’s mechanics 29 Newton and Principia 43 The velocity of light 48 From Newtonian space to Einsteinian space 50 Analytical mechanics 51 Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics 55 Electromagnetism and the theory of light 57 From Maxwell’s equations to the theory of relativity 65 From radiation quantum to quantum mechanics 78 From special relativity to general relativity and cosmology 87 2. BASIC CONCEPTS 97 Postulates and definitions 109 Open questions 111 3. DYNAMIC UNIVERSE 113 Unified expression of energy 113 The concept ofquantum 125 Observations and the picture of reality 129 Buildup of energy in Dynamic Universe 129 Expanding and non-expanding objects and systems 130 Development of the length of a day and a year 131 Observations ofdistant space 133 Local mass centers in space 138 Celestial mechanics, the perihelion advance 141 The frequency ofatomic clocks on the Earth and in near space 144 4. EVALUATION OF THEORIES ON NATURAL SCIENCES 147 Theory structures 148 The principle of economy 151 APPENDIX I. BIOGRAPHY GALLERY 153 Thales (c. 625–546 BC) 153 Anaksimander (c. 610–546 BC) 153 Anaximenes (c. 585–528 BC) 154 Pythagoras (c. 570–490 BC) 154 Heraclitus (c. 535–475 BC) 155 Parmenides (c. 510 BC) 156 Anaxagoras (c. 500–428 BC) 156 Empedocles (c. 492–432 BC) 157 Philolaus (c. 470–385 BC) 157 Leucippus (400s BC) 158 Democritus (c. 460–370 BC) 158 Plato (424–348 BC) 159 Eudoxus (c. 408–355 BC) 160 Heraclides (c. 387–312 BC) 160 Aristotle (384–322 BC) 161 Euclid (c. 350–280 BC) 162 Epicurus (341–270 BC) 162 Aristarchus (310–230 BC) 163 Archimedes (c. 287–212 BC) 164 Eratosthenes (276–194 BC) 164 Apollonius (noin 262–190 eKr.) 165 Hipparchus (c. 190–120 BC) 165 Seleukos (noin 190–150 eKr.) 166 Klaudios Ptolemaios (noin 85–165 jKr.) 166 John Philoponus (490–570) 167 Jean Buridan (c. 1300–1360) 167 Ibn al-Shatir (1304–1375) 168 Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) 169 Sir Thomas Digges (1546–1595) 171 Tyko Brahe (1546–1601) 172 Giordano Bruno (1548–1600) 173 Francis Bacon (1561–1626) 173 Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) 174 Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) 175 Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) 177 René Descartes (1596–1650) 177 Pierre de Fermat (1601–1665) 178 Ismael Boulliau (1605–1694) 179 John Wallis (1616–1703) 179 Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) 180 Giovanni Cassini (1625–1712) 181 Robert Boyle (1627-1691) 181 Christiaan Huygens (1629–1695) 182 Christopher Wren (1632–1723) 183 Robert Hooke (1635–1703) 184 Isaac Newton (1643–1727) 186 Ole Römer (1644–1710) 188 Gottfried Leibniz (1646–1716) 188 Edmond Halley (1656–1742) 191 James Bradley (1693–1762) 192 Pierre Louis Maupertuis (1698–1759) 192 Daniel Bernoulli (1700–1782) 193

FAQs

What main historical transition does the book emphasize?

The book emphasizes the long path from antique metaphysics to empirical science and the eventual union of these approaches.

Which major scientific domains are covered in the scientific history?

It covers planetary and mechanical theories, the velocity of light, Newtonian versus Einsteinian space, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, electromagnetism, relativity, and quantum mechanics.

How does the book evaluate scientific theories?

It discusses theory structures and applies the principle of economy as an evaluative criterion in natural sciences.

Jul 6, 2026

Upload by Noah