In geniuses on, Newton on god refers to the views of Isaac Newton on god and or related, e.g. atheism.
Atheism
In c.1705, Newton, in his “A Short Schematic of the True Religion”, stated his reasons for objecting to atheism as follows: [1]
“Opposite to the first is atheism in profession and idolatry in practice. Atheism is so senseless and odious to mankind that it never had many professors. Can it be by ‘accident’ that all birds beasts and men have their right side and left side alike shaped (except in their bowels) and just two eyes and no more on either side the face and just two ears on either side the head and a nose with two holes and no more between the eyes and one mouth under the nose and either two fore legs or two wings or two arms on the shoulders and two legs on the hips one on either side and no more? Whence arises this uniformity in all their outward shapes but from the counsel and contrivance of an author? Whence is it that the eyes of all sorts of living creatures are transparent to the very bottom and the only transparent members in the body, having on the outside a hard-transparent skin, and within transparent juices with a crystalline lens in the middle and a pupil before the Lens all of them so truly shaped and fitted for vision, that no artist can mend them? Did ‘blind chance’ know that there was light and what was its refraction and fit the eyes of all creatures after the most curious manner to make use of it? These and such like considerations always have and ever will prevail with mankind to believe that there is a being who made all things and has all things in his power and who is therefore to be feared.”
Here, we see that Newton, as an anti-chance theorist, objects to what seems to be generally Epicurean atheism, with its implicit views that all things are the result of accidents brought about via blind chance. It would not be, to note, until 1770, with the publication of Holbach's The System of Nature, and thereafter Holbachean atheism, that a more cogent anti-chance brand of atheism would be seen; and it would not be until 1934 with Harold Blum's Gibbsian-based chemical peneplanation theologically-free model of evolution that we would begin to see the above objections raised by Newton solved.
AC | BC
Newton, to give one example of religious theory objection, had certain issues with the Julian calender dating system and would objectionably not label years as AD, but instead used AC (Anno Christum), signifying is objection to the argument of the existence of the trinity, namely his view that a person named Jesus may have existed, may have been the son of god, and may have been christened or arisen, but definitely was not the ‘Lord’ or god. [2]
Quotes | Related
The following are related quotes:
“God who gave animals self-motion beyond our understanding is without doubt able to implant other principles of motion in bodies which we may understand as little. Some would readily grant this may be a spiritual one; yet a mechanical one might be shown.”
— Isaac Newton (1674), philosophical query notes: [2]
“Did Christ send his apostles to preach metaphysics to the unlearned people, and to their wives and children?”
— Isaac Newton (c.1680), religious notes (Ѻ)
“Atheism is senseless and odious to mankind.”
— Isaac Newton (c.1705), “A Short Schematic of the True Religion” [1]
References
1. Newton, Isaac. (c.1705). “A Short Schematic of the True Religion” (Ѻ)(Ѻ) , Manuscript
2. Gleick, James. (2003). Isaac Newton (pgs. 105-06). Vintage Books.
External links
● Religious views of Isaac Newton – Wikipedia.
● What did Isaac Newton mean by saying that atheism is senseless? (2016) – Quora.
