A very good summary of the historical development of "physics" as a term
and a science can be found in Chapter 1 of "Electricity in the 17th and
18th Centuries: A Study of Early Modern Physics" by J. L. Heilbron
(ISBN: 0486406881)
(http://store.yahoo.com/doverpublications/0486406881.html).
Heilbron discusses the gradual transition during the 1600s and 1700s in
the use of the terms "natural philosophy" and "physics." He also
discusses the transition from philosophical (theoretical) physics to
experimental physics, and how physics changed "natural history"
(anatomy, biology, psychology) to "mathematical physics" (astronomy,
mechanics).
Heilbron makes the point that usage of the modern term "physics" "did
not come abruptly," nor did the adoption of the modern term coincide
with the change to the meaning we now give it.
Glenn A. Carlson
St. Charles Community College
St. Peters, MO
gcarlson@stchas.edu
<Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 17:20:04 -0700
<From: Larry Smith <larry.smith@SNOW.EDU>
<
< When did physics stop getting called natural philosophy and start
getting
< called physics?
<
< Thanks,
< Larry