Cartesian Spacetime: Descartes Physics and the Relational Theory of Space and Motion

Preface. Introduction. Part I: Descartes, Newton, and the Absolute/Relational Spacetime Debate. 1. Newton's De Gravitatione Argument Against Cartesian Dynamics. 2. The Structure of Spacetime Theories. Part II: Cartesian Physics. 3. The Cartesian Natural Laws. 4. Matter and Substance in the Cartesian Universe. 5. Quantity of Motion: The Function and Origin of the Cartesian Conservation Principle. Part III: Constructing a Cartesian Spacetime. 6. Relational Spacetime and Cartesian Dynamics. 7. The Kinematic Logic of Relational Transfer: An Unwritten Chapter in the History of Cartesian Motion. 8. Constructing a Cartesian Dynamics Without `Fixed' Reference Frames: Collisions in the Center-of-Mass Frame. 9. Constructing a Cartesian Dynamics With `Fixed' Reference Frames: The `Kinematics of Mechanisms' Theory. Conclusion. Bibliography. Index.