Bernard Nieuwentyt
Encyclopedia
Bernard Nieuwentijt, Nieuwentijdt, or Nieuwentyt (10 August 1654, West-Graftdijk
, North Holland
– 30 May 1718, Purmerend
) was a Dutch philosopher, mathematician, physician, magistrate, mayor (of Purmerend), and theologian. As a philosopher, he was a follower of Descartes and an opponent of Spinoza.
He wrote several books (in Dutch) including his chief work Het regt gebruik der werelt beschouwingen, ter overtuiginge van ongodisten en ongelovigen [The True Use of World-Concepts] (1715), which argued for the existence of God and attacked Spinoza. It went through several editions (1715, 1717, 1720, 1725, 1730, 1740) published by Joannes Pauli, and was translated into English as The Existence of God, shown by the Wonders of Nature and into French as De l'existence de Dieu démontrée par les merveilles de la nature, ou traité téléologique dirigé contre la doctrine de Spinoza par un médecin hollandais. Voltaire
owned a copy of this book, and it was an influence on William Paley
. Nieuwentyt's posthumously published Gronden van zekerheid argued Spinoza's 'geometrical method' was not the proper 'experimental method' of science.
West-Graftdijk
West-Graftdijk is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Graft-De Rijp, and lies about 10 km south of Alkmaar. The town has a small historical church, and above the town there is the beautiful bird area Eilandspolder.In 2001, the town of...
, North Holland
North Holland
North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...
– 30 May 1718, Purmerend
Purmerend
Purmerend is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.The city is surrounded by polders, such as the Purmer, Beemster and the Wormer. The city became the trade center of the region but the population grew relatively slow. Only after 1960 did the population...
) was a Dutch philosopher, mathematician, physician, magistrate, mayor (of Purmerend), and theologian. As a philosopher, he was a follower of Descartes and an opponent of Spinoza.
He wrote several books (in Dutch) including his chief work Het regt gebruik der werelt beschouwingen, ter overtuiginge van ongodisten en ongelovigen [The True Use of World-Concepts] (1715), which argued for the existence of God and attacked Spinoza. It went through several editions (1715, 1717, 1720, 1725, 1730, 1740) published by Joannes Pauli, and was translated into English as The Existence of God, shown by the Wonders of Nature and into French as De l'existence de Dieu démontrée par les merveilles de la nature, ou traité téléologique dirigé contre la doctrine de Spinoza par un médecin hollandais. Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
owned a copy of this book, and it was an influence on William Paley
William Paley
William Paley was a British Christian apologist, philosopher, and utilitarian. He is best known for his exposition of the teleological argument for the existence of God in his work Natural Theology, which made use of the watchmaker analogy .-Life:Paley was Born in Peterborough, England, and was...
. Nieuwentyt's posthumously published Gronden van zekerheid argued Spinoza's 'geometrical method' was not the proper 'experimental method' of science.
Works
- Het regt gebruik der werelt beschouwingen, ter overtuiginge van ongodisten en ongelovigen, Amsterdam, 1715
- Gronden van zekerheid, 1720