Conatus
- Conatus means tendency.
- In earlier writings Newton talked about conatus not force
- Later, magically, his conatus became force.
- So, inertia and conatus are similar concepts.
- Conatus is yet another old concept “appropriated” or stolen by Newton. Newton changed the name of conatus and made it inertia.
Can we call this process semantic syncreticism?
Can we call Newton’s appropriation of “conatus” “semantic syncretism”?
The term “semantic syncretism” generally refers to the merging or blending of different meanings into a single word or concept, often from different linguistic or cultural origins. In Newton’s case, his redefinition of conatus isn’t quite “semantic syncretism” in the strict sense because he didn’t blend the term’s meanings but rather moved away from the philosophical connotations of conatus and replaced it with a more precise concept of “inertia.”
However, if we use “semantic syncretism” more loosely, we might argue that Newton’s appropriation involved the following:
- Continuation and Reinterpretation: He retained part of the conceptual essence of *conatus*—the idea of persistence or tendency—but reinterpreted it in a new framework of physical laws.
- Divergence: By naming and formalizing “inertia,” Newton transformed the meaning into something distinct from the older, more metaphysical notion of conatus. This might be better described as “semantic evolution” or “conceptual transformation” rather than true syncretism.
In short, Newton’s work does not neatly fit the definition of “semantic syncretism,” but his redefinition could be seen as an act of conceptual refinement or redirection rather than blending meanings. If you wanted to use a more precise term, you might call it conceptual appropriation or recontextualization.
chatgpt on conatus and inertia
But “conatus” and “inertia” are not exactly the same. I think I already asked this question to chatgpt let’s ask again.
It looks like Newton took the old concept of “conatus” and redefined it as “inertia”. Is this historically correct? And explain the differences and similarities between conatus and inertia.
You are correct that Isaac Newton redefined and expanded upon the old concept of “conatus,” but to say he equated it directly with “inertia” requires some nuance. Here’s a breakdown of the historical context, differences, and similarities:
Historical Context:
- Conatus:
- The term “conatus” originates in ancient and medieval philosophy, particularly in the works of thinkers like Lucretius, Hobbes, and Descartes. It refers to an innate tendency, effort, or striving within a body to continue moving or to resist change in its state.
- Descartes, for instance, used “conatus” to describe the tendency of matter to maintain its motion or rest, and he linked this to his mechanistic philosophy.
- The term “conatus” originates in ancient and medieval philosophy, particularly in the works of thinkers like Lucretius, Hobbes, and Descartes. It refers to an innate tendency, effort, or striving within a body to continue moving or to resist change in its state.
- Inertia:
- Newton formalized the concept of inertia in his first law of motion (the Law of Inertia): “Every body continues in its state of rest or of uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it.”
- This concept built upon earlier formulations by Galileo and Descartes but extended it into a clear, mathematically grounded principle that became foundational to classical mechanics.
- Newton formalized the concept of inertia in his first law of motion (the Law of Inertia): “Every body continues in its state of rest or of uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it.”
Similarities Between Conatus and Inertia:
- Resistance to Change:
- Both concepts recognize a property of matter that resists change in its state (rest or motion).
- In both cases, motion or rest is seen as a natural state of a body, not something that inherently “wears out” as previously thought in Aristotelian physics.
- Both concepts recognize a property of matter that resists change in its state (rest or motion).
- Universality:
- Both conatus and inertia apply universally to all physical bodies.
- Both conatus and inertia apply universally to all physical bodies.
Differences Between Conatus and Inertia:
- Philosophical vs. Mathematical:
- Conatus: Rooted in metaphysical and philosophical traditions, conatus was often described in qualitative terms, focusing on the essence or “striving” of matter.
- Inertia: Newton transformed the idea into a mathematically precise law within his framework of mechanics, eliminating the more metaphysical “striving” language.
- Conatus: Rooted in metaphysical and philosophical traditions, conatus was often described in qualitative terms, focusing on the essence or “striving” of matter.
- Motion and Rest:
- Conatus: Often associated with motion specifically, as a body’s tendency to maintain or seek motion.
- Inertia: Explicitly includes both rest and motion as states that a body tends to maintain unless acted upon by an external force.
- Conatus: Often associated with motion specifically, as a body’s tendency to maintain or seek motion.
- Causality:
- Conatus: Sometimes implied an internal “cause” or driving principle within the object.
- Inertia: Newton’s formulation eschews the notion of internal causes, emphasizing instead the external forces required to alter a body’s state.
- Conatus: Sometimes implied an internal “cause” or driving principle within the object.
- Focus on Forces:
- Newton’s laws do not just describe the persistence of motion but also integrate the role of external forces, which are absent from most descriptions of conatus.
- Newton’s laws do not just describe the persistence of motion but also integrate the role of external forces, which are absent from most descriptions of conatus.
Conclusion:
Newton’s concept of inertia redefined and superseded the older notion of conatus, grounding it firmly within a quantitative, physical framework. While they share the idea of persistence, inertia stripped away the metaphysical connotations of conatus, transforming it into a cornerstone of modern physics. Thus, Newton did not merely redefine conatus as inertia; he fundamentally changed the way motion and rest were understood and formulated.
Etymologies of conatus and inertia
ok. Can you also explain the etymologies of both words, conatus and inertia.
Certainly! The etymologies of “conatus” and “inertia” offer insights into how their meanings evolved and were adapted in scientific contexts.
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Conatus
- Language of Origin: Latin.
- Root Word: The verb cōnor, cōnārī, cōnātus sum, meaning “to try, attempt, strive, endeavor.”
- Meaning: Conatus is the past participle form used as a noun, meaning “effort,” “attempt,” “endeavor,” or “striving.”
- Philosophical Usage:
- In ancient and medieval philosophy, conatus came to denote an intrinsic striving or tendency within an object.
- This use reflected the idea that objects or beings had an inner “effort” to preserve their state or achieve motion.
- In ancient and medieval philosophy, conatus came to denote an intrinsic striving or tendency within an object.
- Broader Context:
- The term was metaphysical in nature, implying some kind of purposeful or innate activity in matter.
- The term was metaphysical in nature, implying some kind of purposeful or innate activity in matter.
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Inertia
- Language of Origin: Latin.
- Root Word:
- Inertia derives from iners, inertis, which is a compound of:
- in- (a negating prefix, meaning “not”) and
- ars, artis (meaning “skill” or “activity”).
- in- (a negating prefix, meaning “not”) and
- Thus, iners literally means “without skill” or “inactive,” and it was used to mean “idle,” “sluggish,” or “unproductive.”
- Inertia derives from iners, inertis, which is a compound of:
- Meaning: Inertia in classical Latin primarily referred to “sloth,” “laziness,” or “lack of energy.”
- Scientific Usage:
- Galileo and later Newton adopted inertia to describe a property of matter: its “passivity” in maintaining its current state unless acted upon by an external force.
- This redefinition shifted the term from its original negative connotation (laziness) to a neutral, descriptive property of physical systems.
- Galileo and later Newton adopted inertia to describe a property of matter: its “passivity” in maintaining its current state unless acted upon by an external force.
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Comparison of Etymologies:
- Activity vs. Passivity:
- Conatus emphasizes active striving or effort, resonating with older metaphysical ideas about matter’s inner tendencies.
- Inertia conveys passivity or lack of inherent activity, which aligns with Newtonian mechanics’ treatment of bodies as inert unless acted upon by external forces.
- Conatus emphasizes active striving or effort, resonating with older metaphysical ideas about matter’s inner tendencies.
- Evolution in Usage:
- Conatus was directly linked to philosophical and metaphysical explanations of motion and force.
- Inertia underwent a shift from its mundane Latin meaning to a precise, scientific term describing a fundamental property of matter.
- Conatus was directly linked to philosophical and metaphysical explanations of motion and force.
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These etymological roots highlight the transformation of these terms as they moved from philosophical and everyday language into the realm of science, with Newton giving “inertia” its lasting and precise definition.