Towards the Modern Theory of Motion

The question of how scientific thought transitioned from medieval to modern times—specifically during the 17th century with the groundbreaking work of Galileo and Newton—has intrigued historians of science since the 20th century. There is ongoing debate about whether English scholars of the 14th century, who formed the Oxford Calculators, along with their French and Italian counterparts, set the stage for the evolution of modern physics with their innovative solutions. Some argue that medieval natural philosophy did not significantly influence the progression to modern scientific methods. This book contributes to that debate by exploring the continuity of scientific thought. It carefully examines the extensive body of knowledge surrounding the Oxford Calculators, juxtaposing existing research with other historians' findings. The aim is to offer a refreshed perspective on the natural philosophy proposed by these 14th-century intellectuals, particularly with respect to the Aristotelian view of local motion, which was a fundamental aspect of their scientific inquiry.