Meanest Foundations and Nobler Superstructures

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The book explores Robert Hooke's groundbreaking proposal regarding celestial mechanics, which challenged the traditional view of planetary motions as stable and immutable. Through a pivotal correspondence with Isaac Newton in 1679-80, Hooke introduced the idea that planetary orbits result from a combination of direct motion and an attractive force towards a central body. This revolutionary perspective suggested that celestial motions are characterized by continuous change rather than fixed paths, ultimately influencing Newton's formulation of his 1687 work, Principia.