Isaac Newton and “Hidden Forces” in Universal Gravitation: Delimiting an Approach for Teacher Training

Abstract

The chapter presents a didactical proposal addressing Isaac Newton’s peculiar neo-Platonist conception. To provide elements for critical approaches to NOS, the didactical plan brings elements to discuss physics concepts, epistemic and non-epistemic aspects of science on physics teacher training courses. The contextualized focus on Newton’s involvement with different fields of knowledge, such as alchemy, mystical knowledge, and religion is aimed at discussing stereotypes and naive views on the nature of science, still perpetuated in science teaching. The discussion of the influences of the biblical prophecies on Newton’s thoughts and alchemical ideas in the conception of action at a distance allows critical and explicit reflections on how personal values of a thinker or group of thinkers also have an impact on science. In addition, the chapter is intended to bring the topic “science and religion” to teacher training, offering subsidies to deal with intolerances, prejudices, controversial, and fundamentalist’s positions. Religious conceptions or metaphysical ideas are part of the culture, and they can be understood as social and historical knowledge, regardless of the personal belief of each teacher. Reflections about such content can promote the respect for diversity, as a way to approach human rights in classrooms.