1. Concept
The “mechanical philosophy,” a new mathematical form of exposition, and a new theory of matter and its properties and powers, were crucial ingredients in the Scientific Revolution of the 17th and 18th centuries. From the perspective of the 21st century, it is possible to discern three main usages of the noun “mechanics” in early modern discourse.
(1) The most colloquial has to do with the construction and operation of machines like pumps and m…