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Why did some scientists object to Newton’s idea that gravity acts across empty space?
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Newton’s laws of motion
The title page of Isaac Newton's Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (1687; Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), the work in which the physicist introduced his three laws of motion.
Some scientists, particularly on the European continent, objected to Isaac Newton’s law of universal gravitation because it proposed that one body could exert a force on another across empty space without a visible mechanism.1
This concept was criticized for several reasons:
- "Occult" Qualities: Critics felt that the idea of action at a distance was a regression to medieval animism or "occult" qualities, rather than a mechanical explanation of nature.12
- Lack of Mechanism: Newton was unable to explain the physical process by which gravity acted, which troubled those who preferred mechanical models of the universe.12
- Cartesian Influence: Many scientists, such as Christiaan Huygens, were influenced by René Descartes, whose physics relied on contact forces and mechanical agents. They found it difficult to accept that attraction was an inherent property of matter and continued to search for a physical agent or medium to explain gravitational effects.2
Ultimately, Newton’s theory gained acceptance because of its successful application in predicting phenomena, such as the orbits of comets and the tides.12