Seeking Truth ─ Roger North's Notes on Newton and Correspondence With Samuel Clarke c. 1704-1713

In the early 1690s Roger North was preparing to remove from London to Rougham, Norfolk, where he planned to continue his search for truth, which for him meant knowledge of nature, including human nature. But this search was interrupted by three events. First, between c.1704 and the early part of 1706, he read Newtona€?s book on rational (quantitative) mechanics and, afterwards, his book on optics in Clarkea€?s Latin translation. Second, towards the latter part of 1706, he and Clarke, a Norfolk clergyman, corresponded about matters relating to Newtona€?s two books, after which Clarke removed to London and the correspondence ceased. Third, in 1712 North received a letter from Clarke, requesting him to read and respond to his new publication on the philosophy of the Godhead. As Kassler details, each of these events presented a number of challenges to Northa€?s values, as well as the way of philosophising he had learned as a student and practitioner of the common law. Because he never made public his responses to the challenges, her book also includes editions of North's notes on reading Newtona€?s books, as well as what now remains of the 1706 and later correspondence with Clarke. In addition, she presents analyses of some of Northa€?s a€?second thoughtsa€? about the issues raised in the notes and 1706 correspondence and, from an examination of Clarkea€?s main writings, provides a context for understanding the correspondence relating to the 1712 book.

Jamie C. Kassler was elected as a fellow (1991) of the Australian Academy of the Humanities for contributions to musicological theory and was a recipient of the Centenary Medal (2003) for service to Australian society and the humanities in the study of philosophy. A collection of her articles was published as Music, Science, Philosophy: Models in the Universe of Thought (Ashgate 2001). She is also the author of The Beginnings of the Modern Philosophy of Music (Ashgate, 2004) and The Honourable Roger North, 1681-1734 (Ashgate, 2009).