Sir Isaac Newton: The Enigma of a Global Polymath

Isaac Newton was an enigmatic individual. While he is commonly recognized as a physicist, like many influential figures in human history, he possessed a multidimensional persona and was a polymath. Numerous captivating questions surround his life that extend beyond his renowned status as the father of physics.

How did Newton's involvement in the cosmopolitan community of politicians and businessmen shape his worldview and impact his scientific pursuits? How did Newton's exploration of fields such as alchemy and philosophy intersect with his scientific pursuits, and how did they influence each other? And what did he actually get his knighthood for? (spoiler - not for his scientific work)

Sir Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727) was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, and civil servant. He is well known for his discoveries in optics (white light composition) and mathematics (calculus), but most famous for his formulation of the three laws of motion, the basic principles of modern physics, gravity among them.

But he had still more sides to his polymathy. For 30 years, alchemy was the secret passion of one of humanity’s greatest scientists. Like most of his contemporaries, Newton was fascinated by the mysterious world of alchemy, later to be replaced by chemistry. The discovery of the periodic table of elements was still another 200 years away, so scientists did what they could with their limited knowledge. In his obsession over his alchemical experiments, Newton forgot everything, often even to eat his meals. He wouldn't go to bed until the early hours of the morning, and after only five or six hours of sleep he would jump up to resume his work again. At times, he worked in the laboratory for six weeks without a break, and he became a kind of hermit – one steeped in occult knowledge.?

He longed to understand the secret structure of the world, to find the universal key to knowledge. In fact, many of the discoveries and mathematical formulas contained in Newton's Philosophi Naturalis Principia Mathematica can be linked, often very directly, to his occult and alchemical studies. After his death, he left about a million words written on alchemy. In 1888, the Cambridge University Library refused to accept the donation of Newton's alchemical writings.

So, what did he get his knighthood for? Common belief is that it was for his scientific work, but no. When Newton took up the long-desired post of warden of the Royal Mint, he converted the British pound sterling from the silver standard to gold. This greatly reduced the number of counterfeit coins operating in England. Newton was also praised for his remarkable administrative abilities, which ensured the success of reforms that not only prevented an economic crisis, but decades later led to a significant increase in the country's prosperity. It’s for these achievements that he was granted the title “Sir”.?

During his years as keeper of the Mint, Newton continued to develop and refine his theories about the natural world, but also became a worthy member of the powerful cosmopolitan community of politicians and businessmen who supported and greatly contributed to Britain's ambitious quest for global domination.

Another quite unexpected side of Sir Newton was his investigative talent. During his work for the Royal Mint, he was also focused on investigating counterfeiters, and as a result became acquainted with the city’s underbelly. He personally tracked down and interviewed suspected criminals, receiving death threats along the way, but his scientific inquisitiveness and logic helped to solve crimes. The deductive method, which Arthur Conan Doyle presented in such colorful detail through his Sherlock Holmes stories, is, in fact, an invention of the great English polymath.

The truth is, Newton was not just a great scientist, but a representative of the world's metropolis, a global figure - and an actor who played many different roles.

Curious to find out if other famous personalities were polymaths?

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