Space, Time, and Motion in the Early Modern Period

Masterclass “Space, Time, and Motion in the Early Modern Period”
(Bucharest, 18-22.05.2015)

Invited speakers:
Edward Slowik (Winona University)
Tzuchien Tho (ICUB, University of Bucharest)

The masterclass “Space, Time, and Motion in the Early Modern Period” aims at exploring early modern discussions about the concepts of space, time, and motion from Descartes to Kant. It will combine lectures with reading groups and panel discussions, offering an intensive and motivating research environment for all the participants. The masterclass is addressed to graduate students and post-doc researchers willing to spend a week in Bucharest at the The Institute for Research in the Humanities of the University of Bucharest (IRH-UB), working on an intensive time schedule of daily morning meetings between 18 and 25 May 2015.

Reading list (selected fragments):
Descartes, Principles of Philosophy, Part II.
Leibniz, Animadversiones ad Cartesii principia philosophiæ §35-64.
Huygens, De Motu Corporum ex percussione.
Leibniz, Specimen Dynamicum (Pars I.).
Newton, De gravitatione (excerpts), the scholium on space and time from the Principia (1st edition), and the general scholium from the Principia (2nd edition). Newton, Philosophical Writings (Janiak, editor), pp. 15-35, 64-70, 86-93.
Leibniz-Clarke Correspondence.

Program:
18.05. Monday (2 lectures)
09-11 Edward Slowik, Locke and Newton on Space, Time, and the Limits of Measurement.
11-13 Tzuchien Tho, Potentia sive actio: tensions between Leibniz’s metaphysics and dynamics.

19.05. Tuesday (reading groups)
09-11 reading group on Descartes, Principles II (Edward Slowik)
11-13 reading group on Leibniz, Animadversiones (selected fragments) and Huygens (Tzuchien Tho)

20.05. Wednesday (1 reading group, 1 lecture; Faculty of Philosophy)
16-18 reading group on Leibniz, Specimen Dynamicum (Tzuchien Tho)
18-20 Edward Slowik, A Note on Kant as Precursor of Mach: Reconsidering Kant’s Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science from a Huygensian Frame (CELFIS Seminar).

21.05. Thursday (reading groups)
09-11 reading group on Newton on space and motion (selected fragments from De gravitatione and the Principia) (Edward Slowik)
11-13 reading group on Leibniz-Clarke Correspondence (selected fragments) (Tzuchien Tho)

22.05. Friday (round up discussions)
09-12 round up discussions.

Requests to register for the masterclass should be sent to [email protected], no later than 1st May. Those who are willing to participate are invited to send a letter of intention and a short CV (max. 2 pages).