Symposium Series on Re-reading the Classics of the General Education Foundation Courses
Symposium II cum Pre-symposium Workshop
Isaac Newton's
Mathematical Priciples of Natural Philosophy
December 29-30, 2023
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Since 2012, all undergraduate students at The Chinese University of Hong Kong have been required to take the General Education Foundation Programme, which consists of the two courses, “In Dialogue with Nature” and “In Dialogue with Humanity”. “In Dialogue with Nature” course focuses on reading classics of science, inspiring students to understand and reflect on human explorations of nature and humans’ place in nature. Isaac Newton’s Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (the Principia) is an epochal masterpiece. It marked a new era in human exploration of the universe, shifting from philosophical discussions to empirical, quantitative, and mathematical approaches. It also revealed a mechanical world inhabited by humans. Through reading the Principia, students would not only understand how Newton constructed a system of the world, but more importantly, they would also recognise that Newton’s greatness goes beyond his discovery of natural laws and mathematical theorems. He has brought a new understanding of the universe. The universe as portrayed in the Principia is no longer a world where the laws of the heavens and earth differ, but is a unified universe governed by the same natural laws. Since its inception, “In Dialogue with Nature” has already included excerpts from “Definitions” and “Axioms” of the Principia. Starting from the 2023-24 academic year, the “Rules for the Study of Natural Philosophy” (Book 3) and the General Scholium of the entire book would be incorporated as well.
The Principia represents the pinnacle of the Scientific Revolution in 16th to 17th century Europe, introducing a new worldview and inspiring subsequent generations to explore nature using empirical and quantitative methods. Some intriguing questions arise: Since the publication of the Principia over three hundred years ago, have the worldview of scientists and their methods of studying nature changed? Do we have any new understanding of this classic work? Furthermore, do we have new insights into the social background and historical context in which the Principia was published? After more than a decade of implementation of the General Education Foundation Programme, it would seem an opportune time to revisit this classic work. In view of the significance of the Principia in general education, we are organising this symposium on Isaac Newton’s Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, inviting experts and scholars to share their teaching and research experiences in the following areas:
- 1. Understanding of the text: In the Principia, Newton has defined physical concepts such as mass and momentum, and proposed the three laws of motion. How should we interpret these definitions and laws? Book 3 starts with a set of rules for the study of natural philosophy adopted by Newton. The general scholium summarises Newton’s views on God and natural laws. What messages lie behind these discussions? The origins of the aforementioned content are also worth exploring in depth. While general education courses may not reach the same depth as major courses in terms of exploring an academic field, possessing an accurate and rigorous understanding of texts remains indispensable for a teacher of classical texts.
- 2. Background of the text: Despite the theoretical nature of the Principia, the author, Isaac Newton, lived in a cultural background and historical context that was, like ours, tangible in nature. Has the cultural background and historical context brought any impact on the writing and content of the Principia?
- 3. Reverberations of the text in later generations: The text implies a worldview and a method for exploring nature. Over three centuries have passed since the publication of the Principia. Have scientists' worldviews and methods of studying nature undergone any changes? What inspirations have these changes brought to our understanding of the Principia?
- 4. Teaching the text: The Principia is a scientific work that involves many theories and abstract concepts, which can be particularly challenging for some students. After teaching the Principia in the General Education Foundation Programme for many years, teachers would have accumulated a lot of teaching experiences and reflections that they can share.
In The Chinese University of Hong Kong, many teachers, graduate students, and undergraduate students are interested in Newtonian mechanics. Some of them may be in the process of developing general education courses related to Newtonian mechanics, others may be attempting to incorporate related content into existing courses, and there might also be those who are planning to pursue teaching careers as physics teachers in secondary schools. Teachers would benefit from possessing knowledge extending beyond the content they would teach, for example, Lagrangian mechanics and Hamiltonian mechanics (which have been developed based on Newtonian mechanics), new perspectives on existing concepts (such as coordinates and symmetry) as introduced by these mechanics, and their connections with statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics. A pre-symposium workshop will be conducted to provide an introduction to the foundational knowledge required for teaching Newtonian mechanics.
