In the footsteps of Newton? 's Gravesande Scientific Methodology

This proposal will scrutinize W.J. s Gravesande's (1688-1742) scientific methodology, who was one of the most influential advocates of Newtonianism on the Continent. s Gravesande further developed Newton's natural philosophy and dealt with physical problems that were left unaddressed by Newton. Surprisingly, there are few detailed studies of 's Gravesande's methodological views proper and their relevance for his scientific practice. This research project seeks to fill in this scholarly void by providing a historical and philosophical account of s Gravesande's methodology both in precept and in practice. Following s Gravesande's own statements, many scholars have been led to believe that 's Gravesande was a follower of Newton's methodology without, however, providing detailed justification for this claim. The overarching goal of this research proposal is to explicate s Gravesande's scientific methodology and to determine whether or not his methodology may be rightfully considered as Newtonian. The promoter of this research project has recently provided a historically detailed and systematically rich account of Newton's methodology. In the research project at hand, this account will be used to ascertain whether s Gravesande's methodology was based on Newton's methodology (and, if so, to what extent) or whether he was relying on different methods. Given its set-up, this research proposal will have broader implications for the study of 18th-century Newtonianism in general.