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AGPhil: Arbeitsgruppe Philosophie der Physik

AGPhil 1: Philosophie der Physik I

AGPhil 1.2: Vortrag

Mittwoch, 14. März 2018, 17:00–17:30, H 2033

The reception of the Cartesian legacy by Euler and Du Châtelet — •Dieter Suisky — Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

The cornerstone of Descartes’ theory is the strict distinction between thinking and extension which is represented by the difference between spirits and bodies. Locke and his disciple Voltaire claimed that an idea of a thinking matter is possible. Although being in other questions in disagreement, Émilie Du Châtelet (1706-1749) and Leonhard Euler (1707-1783) were in perfect accord in defending Descartes’ basic notions and argued against Locke, Voltaire and La Mettrie.

In her treatise Foundations of physics Du Châtelet argued: Some philosophers say, that "God may have given to matter the attribute of thought, though it does not have it by its essence, and thus, as we do not know what it pleased God to do, we can not know either that what thinks in us is matter or not. ... I say that it is impossible, even by the will of God that is used here, because one have seen that the possibility of things does not depend on that will."

Two decades later in his Letters to a German princess, Euler confirmed this argumentation: "But spirits are of a very different nature, and their actions depend on principles directly opposite. ... This property is as essential to spirits as extension or impenetrability is to body; and as it would be impossible for the divine Omnipotence itself to divest body of these qualities, it would be equally impossible for it to divest spirits of liberty."

Du Châtelet and Euler argue in conformity to Descartes and Leibniz and are in pronounced opposition to Locke and Voltaire.