Concepts of Force: A Study in the Foundations of Dynamics

Max Jammer

ISBN 10: 048640689X / ISBN 13: 9780486406893

Published by Dover Publications, 1999

About this Item

269 pages. 8.75x5.50x0.50 inches. In Stock.

Seller Inventory # 048640689X

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Concepts of Force: A Study in the Foundations of Dynamics
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Publication Date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 048640689X
• ISBN 13: 9780486406893
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Brand New

About this title

Synopsis

"Professor Jammer's book traces the rise of force from the primordial 'nht' in Egyptian antiquity through its zenith as the central element of physical reality in classical mechanics to its near demise under modern criticism … a veritable tour de force … To read Concepts of Force is to gain a new and profound understanding of force and dynamics." — R. T. Weidner, Physics Today
Both a historical treatment and a critical analysis, this work by a noted physicist takes a fascinating look at one of the fundamental and primordial notions in physical theory, the concept of force.
Tracing its development from ancient times to the twentieth century, the author demonstrates how Kepler initiated the scientific conceptualization of the idea of force, how Newton attempted a clear and profound definition, and how post-Newtonian physicists reinterpreted the notion — contrasting the concepts of Leibniz, Boscovich, and Kant with those of Mach, Kirchhoff, and Hertz. In conclusion, the modern trend toward eliminating the concept of force from the conceptual scheme of physical science receives an in-depth analysis.
Philosophically minded readers interested in the basic problems of science will welcome this volume, as will historians of science and physicists who wish to better understand the historical and epistemological foundations of their discipline. Saluted by Science as "an excellent presentation," and by The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science as "a highly stimulating and informative study," Concepts of Force offers an unsurpassed treatment of a vital subject. 1962 edition.

About the Author

Max Jammer is Professor of Physics Emeritus and former Rector at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. He is the author of a number of treatises on the foundations of physics, including "Concepts of Space," which contains a preface by Albert Einstein, and "The Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics," which was read in draft by Paul Dirac and Werner Heisenberg. For his publications, most of which have been translated into several languages, Jammer has received numerous awards, among them the prestigious Monograph Prize of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In writing "Einstein and Religion," Jammer used as his sources the Einstein Archive at the National and University Library in Jerusalem and the library of the Union Theological Seminary in New York.