G. F. Becker— Kant as a Natural Philosopher. 97 



Art. XV. — Kant as a Natural Philosopher • by Geo. F. 



Becker. 



Kant's fame as a metaphysician has completely over- 

 shadowed his reputation as a physicist, at least outside of 

 Germany. One occasionally sees a slight reference to the fact 

 that he had an idea of some sort of nebular hypothesis, but 

 usually the context conveys the impression that it was only a 

 futile dream. Thus a well known historian of astronomy 

 stated in 1882 that Kant had put forward u a true nebular cos- 

 mogony, though one in which the primitive reign of chaos was 

 little likely to terminate." In 1869, however, Huxley wrote a 

 few vigorous paragraphs on Kant's results* and shortly after- 

 wards Lord Kelvin, referring to Huxley's abstract, remarked 

 that Kant's paper only wanted the knowledge of thermo- 

 dynamics "to lead to a thoroughly definite explanation of all that 

 is known regarding the present actions and temperatures of 

 the sun and other heavenly bodies."f 



All of Kant's earlier papers w r ere on physical subjects and 

 he retained his interest in natural philosophy through life. He 

 studied Newton : at one time he lectured on mathematics, and 

 his course on physical geography was repeated through many 

 years. Some of his papers are now of little interest, but 

 others, at least from an historical point of view, are very 

 important. The titles of those which seem to me most note- 

 worthy are given in a footnote below.J 



The first three of these papers, which are also the most 

 original, were all published before Kant's poverty allowed him 



* Presidential Address, Geol. Soc. London, Discourses Biological and Geological, 

 1894. p. 320. 



f Address to Geol. Soc, Glasgow, April 5, 1869. 



\ The volume and page numbers refer to Immanuel Kant's Sammtliche "Werke, 

 edited by G. Hartenstein, Leipzig, Voss., 1868. 



1754. Untersuchung der Frage. ob die Erde in ihrer Umdrehung um die Achse, 

 wodurch sie die Abwecbselung des Tages und der Nacht hervorbrin'gt, 

 einige Veranderung seit den ersten Zeiten ihres Ursprungs erlitten babe, 

 vol. i, pp. 179-186. 



1754. Die Frage ; ob die Erde veralte, pbysikalisch envogen, vol. i, pp. 187-206. 



1755. Allgemeiue Naturgeschicbte und Tbeorie des Himmels. oder Versuch von 

 der Verfassung und dem mechaniscben Ursprouge des ganzen Weltge- 

 baudes nach Xewton'scben Grundsatzen abgehandelt, vol. i, pp. 207-345. 



1756. Neue Anmerkungen zur Krlauterung der Tbeorie der Winde, vol. i, pp. 

 473-487. 



1763. Der eiuzig mogliche Beweisgrund zu einer Demonstration des Daseins 

 Gottes. Siebente Betracbtung, Kosmogonie. vol. ii, pp. ISO— 1 93. 



1785. Ueber die Vulcane im Monde, vol. iv, pp. 193-202. 



1786. Metapbysiscbe Anfangsgriinde der Xatunvissenschaft, vol. iv, pp. 355-462. 

 1802. Physische Geograpbie. Auf Yerlangen des Verfassers aus seiner Hand- 



scbnft herausgegeben und zuai Tbeil bearbeitet von Dr. Fr. Tb. Rink, vol. 

 vin, pp. 145-452. 



Am. Jour. Scl— Fourth Series, Vol. V, Xo. 26.— February, 1898. 



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