Sir Isaac Newton was one of the most influential figures in history. His accomplishments span the fields of science and math, and he was a key figure in the Enlightenment. This article looks at the life and career of Newton, from his childhood to his writings. In addition to his scientific contributions, Newton was also an author and theologian.
Isaac Newton’s childhood
If you have ever wondered about the life of a famous person, then you may have wondered about Isaac Newton’s childhood. Born to a Puritan family in Woolsthorpe, England, Newton’s father died when he was only two months old. When his mother remarried, he was raised by his maternal grandparents, who taught him to read and write. His father’s death only two months later caused his mother to return to Woolsthorpe, where she remarried.
After his stepfather died, Newton lived with his mother and grandmother, as well as his half-sisters and half-brother. Newton attended the Free Grammar School in Grantham, where he met and became acquainted with many influential figures in the city. His mother thought that Newton would eventually manage her estate after she passed away, but he showed no interest.
In his early twenties, Newton was forced to leave school and work at a farm in Lincolnshire. He disliked agricultural work and was prone to being absent-minded. Eventually, his friends and family convinced his mother to send him back to school. During this time, Newton studied under classical scholars, reading Kepler and Galileo’s works. After completing his education, Newton became a highly paid government official in London. His interest in mathematics gradually declined.
Newton travelled to Cambridge when he was seventeen. In his spare time, he scribbled on walls. He was fascinated by mechanical objects and the forces of work. The walls of his home were regularly painted, and he used them as a sketchpad.
His career
Newton’s creative years as a mathematician stretched from 1664 to 1696, when he generalized calculus and refined its methods. He presented his ideas in three tracts. The first, De analysi, was a privately circulated treatise on analysis. It was not published until 1711, but a second, Methodus fluxionum et serierum infinita, was published nine years later. These smaller tracts were later incorporated into Newton’s Opticks, which was published in 1704.
Newton’s childhood was not easy. He often lacked attention from his mother, and occasionally threatened to attack friends and foes to get attention. As a result, his life was difficult. Although he was highly intelligent and capable of analyzing and interpreting scientific data, his upbringing was far from idyllic.
Newton attended Cambridge University on a scholarship from an uncle and later worked as a valet. As a law student, he tended to study natural philosophy and mathematics, as well as alchemy, which is now considered pseudoscience. Newton’s time at the university coincided with the Scientific Revolution in the 17th century. While he was studying in Cambridge, he learned about the heliocentric theory, which was gaining popularity in the academic world.
Newton combined the wave and particle theories of light in his work. He also proposed that light is made up of a “substance” more subtle than air, which would provide a medium for vibrations and waves. Newton also rejected the wave models of Huygens and Hooke because they ignored the subtleties of periodicity.
After leaving Cambridge in 1696, Newton took a government position in London. In 1698, he became the Master of the Royal Mint. In 1701, he resigned from both positions. He grew very wealthy during this period. In addition to his work as a Mint officer, he was also involved in the reform of coinage. He also participated in measures to prevent counterfeiting.
His writings
Isaac Newton’s writings on the Bible give us a unique insight into the mind of a great intellect. Although a committed Christian, Newton questioned the religious views of his fellow Christians. However, he believed that the Bible is inspired by God and that it must contain important revelations. Therefore, he sought to decipher the symbolic language of the Bible.
Although a fascinating read, Newton’s writings have been the subject of controversy for nearly three centuries. Scholars have attempted to draw connections between his scientific and non-scientific works, but have found few connections. While many of Newton’s papers have been published, no single comprehensive edition of his works has been published.
Newton’s personal life was fraught with a variety of issues. He suffered from a nervous breakdown in 1693. His causes are unknown, but some theories suggest that he was disillusioned by his new monarchs, had lost his friend Duillier, and was overworked. In addition, he may have been poisoned by mercury in his alchemical research. Whatever the cause, his writings suggest a deranged state of mind. During his final years, Newton accused his friends and colleagues of betrayal and conspiracy.
The mathematical books that Newton read also provided the foundations for differential and integral calculus. His’method of fluxions’ was based on the insight that integration is the inverse of differentiating. Unlike the alchemical sources of the time, Newton’s musical judgements were based on experiential qualities rather than theoretical preconceptions. As a result, he defined seven spectral colours and assumed that the spectrum encompasses an octave.
The most comprehensive collection of Newton’s writings was once housed at the Cambridge University Library. The Portsmouth Collection, a collection of his manuscripts, was donated to the university library by the fifth Earl of Portsmouth in 1872. The collection also includes manuscripts of the lectures Newton delivered as the Lucasian Professor at Cambridge. In addition, many other British and foreign libraries hold a selection of Newton’s scientific papers.
His relationship with Robert Hooke
Isaac Newton’s relationship with Robert Hooke was not an easy one. The two were bitter rivals, and Hooke was always at odds with Newton over who should get credit for his work. But the two eventually got along, and in the process, Newton’s discoveries became more famous.
Hooke claimed that Newton got the idea for the inverse square law from him. Although this claim is not true, both men were involved in the creation of the inverse square law. The inverse square law was the first law of motion formulated by Newton. But Newton was furious at Hooke’s appropriation of the idea. Hooke eventually died without proving it. But Newton did not give up.
In 1705, Robert Hooke’s posthumous works appeared, including “A Discourse of Earthquakes.” The work, which is considered to be the most philosophical of its time, explains the causes of the changes in the world around us. Hooke also had a niece named Grace, and a cousin named Tom Giles.
Newton and Hooke’s relationship was a complicated one. The two men were rivals in the same field of science. They often clashed in correspondence, and Hooke publicly accused Newton of plagiarism. This led to a series of hostile letters between the two men. Although the two men ultimately resolved their differences, their rivalry persisted.
Hooke was an inventor who had an unusually hard working capacity. He claimed priority for his discovery of the inverse square law, and had numerous patents for his works in elasticity and optics. Hooke’s papers were only recently discovered, and it’s likely that he could have gotten them from Newton’s papers.
His relationship with Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
The relationship between Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was one of mutual respect and rivalry. Each of them studied different areas of mathematics. Yet, they ultimately reached similar conclusions. Newton studied differentiation, while Leibniz focused on integration. Both men were adamant that they were equals, though they were working in different directions.
Isaac Newton began to work on a version of calculus at the age of 23, calling it the method of fluxions and fluents. He intended to publish it in a revised version of his Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, but never completed the work. Their relationship is not clear, but some biographers suggest they had a romantic relationship.
Newton was also the president of the Royal Society. When Leibniz and Newton disagreed on a question, Newton selected a committee to investigate. Newton included himself on the committee. Newton wrote a false report accusing Leibniz of plagiarism. In return, Leibniz produced a book of evidence, which was published in 1716.
Newton’s relationship with Leibniz was often contentious. Leibniz visited England but did not meet Newton in person. However, the two men did work together on mathematics. They also met Isaac Barrow, a mathematician who was working on the problem of tangents.
There is a misconception that Leibniz is the founder of calculus. In fact, both men contributed to its development. Leibniz, however, was the first to publish a detailed account of the subject, which became the basis for modern-day calculus.
