BOSCOVICH, Ruggiero Giuseppe. Theoria philosophiae naturalis redacta.
Venezia, Ex Typographia Remondiniana, 1763
4to. 255x184 mm. Contemporary sewing binding. Pp. XL, 311, 1 bianca, (8, with the Catalog of Boscovich’s works). 4 engraved plates. Red and black titlepage with printer’s device. Colored Ex-Libris on titlepage. Some pages with foxing, good uncut specimen in its original binding.
Rare edition of Boscovich's seminal work, a precursor to modern atomic theory. Riccardi: “In questa opera Boscovich considera l’attrazione universale di tutte le forze fisiche" Norman: "Boskovich's theory influenced the position of nineteenth-century field physics with regard to the relations between space and matter; it was employed by Faraday and Kelvin, and J. J. Thomson used its curve of forces to introduce the earliest concepts of atomic physics." The book proposes a unified theory of the forces governing the universe, describing matter as a combination of fundamental particles and their interactions through a universal force law. This had a significant impact on subsequent physics and philosophy of science, leading to atomic theory and influencing scientists such as John Dalton and Michael Faraday.
Honeymann: "Boscovitch's important work, in which he developed his theory of points, which are the first elements of all matter." PMM: "The birth of atomic physics."
This is the third edition, the first published in Venice.
Riccardi I/1, 180; Honeyman Coll. 427, 428; Roller-G. I, 146; de Backer-S. I, 1841. Cfr. PMM 203 e Norman 277 for the first edition. D.B.I., Vol. XIII, pp. 221-230.