The development of mersenne's optics

Perspectives on Science 18 (1):pp. 9-25 (2010)
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Abstract

This paper reconstructs the development of Mersenne's reflections concerning optics. I argue that Mersenne's optical writings provide crucial insights into Mersenne's Aristotelianism. I reconstruct Mersenne's attempt of explaining the new ideas on light, which were advanced by Kepler, Descartes and Hobbes within Aristotle's natural philosophy. Mersenne explained Kepler's work on light within the Scholastic tradition. In the 1640s, Mersenne was stimulated by the debate concerning Descartes' theory of light, which he accepted only in 1648. Indeed, Mersenne first explained Descartes' law of refraction by means of Hobbes physics. However, Mersenne always wanted to remain faithful to Aristotle

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References found in this work

Descartes' Metaphysical Physics.Daniel GARBER - 1992 - Studia Leibnitiana 26 (1):127-128.
Theories of Light from Descartes to Newton.A. I. Sabra - 1968 - Philosophy 43 (165):291-293.
Theories of Light from Descartes to Newton.A. I. Sabra - 1971 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 22 (1):55-57.
Thomas Hobbes' mechanical conception of nature.Frithiof Brandt - 1928 - Copenhagen,: Levin & Munksgaard; [etc., etc.]. Edited by Maxwell, Vaughan, [From Old Catalog], Fausbøll & I. Anne.

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