Estevão Cabral (1734-1811) against Newton

notes on his unpublished memoir on the nature of light

Authors

  • Breno Arsioli Moura Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/khronos.v0i9.170754

Keywords:

Estevão Cabral, Newton, Portugal, Optics, Light

Abstract

In this paper, I discuss in detail the manuscript “Brief reflections on the nature and properties of light, or on the two systems of vibration and emission, Cartesian and Newtonian”, written by Estevão Cabral (1734-1811), non-published at the time, and available nowadays at the archives of the library of the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon, in Portugal. The undated manuscript brings a strong criticism on the emission theory of light – in other words, the Newtonian optics –, while it puts in relief the superiority of the vibrational theory. Since the specialized literature often considers the favorable reception of Newton in Portuguese lands, Cabral’s manuscript seems to be a remarkable exception.

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Published

2020-07-11

Issue

No. 9 (2020): Science fiction and the history of science and technology

Section

Artigos

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How to Cite

Moura, B. A. (2020). Estevão Cabral (1734-1811) against Newton: notes on his unpublished memoir on the nature of light. Khronos, 9, 204-215. https://doi.org/10.11606/khronos.v0i9.170754

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