The Elements of Universal Erudition (Volume 1); Containing an Analytical Abridgment of the Sciences, Polite Arts, and Belles Lettres - Softcover
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1770. Excerpt: ... CHAP. XLVIII. PHYSICS, O R NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. Y the word Physics, in its most exten i five sense, we understand the science of the operations of nature, and of its productions. This definition is alone sufficient to inform us, what are the particular parts of physicsand what are the means it employs to attain its ends. Thus naturathipry, of zoology, botany, and mineralogy, describe those bodies that nature produces, as far as they are discernible by our senses. So chymistry and experimental philosophy discover to us, at least in part, the composition of bodies, and the various alterations of which those compositions are susceptible. So general and speculative physics draws from all these preliminary observations, from all these matters of fad, just consequences relative to the universal laws of nature, to the properties, forces, adion, and essential qualities of bodies. We have already treated of botany and chymistry, it therefore only remains to give here an idea of zoology, mineralogy, ralogy, and experimental philosophy. This analysis will naturally lead us to an explanation of the laws of nature, by which all these effects are produced; and therefore we shall unite, in this chapter, the sciences which are preparatory to general and speculative physics, and which at the same time furnish the proofs of all its principles and hypotheses, with this science itself. And very happy shall we think ourselves, if we are able in some degree to elucidate these matters. II. The object of physics being the examination of the whole frame of nature, so far as it is visible and palpable to man, it is easy to conceive that it must form the most extensive branch of human knowledge, seeing that the operations of nature are varied almost to infinity. To reduce this imme...
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