Three hundred years ago, in 1687, the most famous scientific work of all time, the Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica of Isaac Newton, was published. Fifty years earlier, in 1637, a work which had considerable influence on Newton, the Discours de la Méthode, with its famous appendix, La Géométrie, was published by René Descartes. It is fitting that we celebrate these anniversaries by sketching the lives and outlining the works of Newton and Descartes.

In the past several decades, historians of science have arranged the chaotic bulk of Newton manuscripts into a coherent whole and presented it to us in numerous high quality books and papers. Foremost among these historians is Derek T. Whiteside, of Cambridge, whose eight magnificent volumes overflowing with erudite commentary have brought Newton to life again.

Other purposes of this article are to dispel some myths about Newton—for much of what we previously “knew” about him is myth—and to encourage the reader to look inside these volumes and to read Newton's own words, for that is the only way to appreciate the majesty of his intellect.

Newton's education and public life

Isaac Newton was born prematurely on Christmas Day 1642 (O.S.), the “same” year Galileo (1564 – 1642) died, in the family manor house at Woolsthorpe, some 90 km NNW of Cambridge.