Lat. Am. J. Phys. Educ. Vol. 8, No. 4, Dec. 2014 4310-1 http://www.lajpe.org The challenging concept of Newtonian mechanics from philosophical view Mehdi Jafari Matehkolaee 1 , Shayan Khorasani 2 1 Sama technical and vocational training college, Islamic Azad University, Sari Branch, Sari, Iran. 2 F Shahid Beheshti High School, Sari, Mazandaran, Iran. E-mail:mehdiariamehr@gmail.com, khorasanishayan@gmail.com (Received 24 May 2014, accepted 10 November 2014) Abstract We present a brief description from Newton's theory that containing profound points. Afterward we show that based on the diverse philosophical concepts this theory could be contestable. Resumen Se presenta una breve descripción de la teoría de Newton que contiene puntos de reflexión profundos. Después nos muestran que en base a los diversos conceptos filosóficos esta teoría podría ser discutible Keywords: Theory of Newton, philosophy. PACS: 01.40.Fk, 01.65.+g, 01.70.+w ISSN 1870-9095 I. INTRODUCCIÓN Now, it is more than 300 years that newtonian mechanics is accepted as one of the fundamental branches in physics science. Many phenomena in macroscopic dimension can be explained indisputably. Even in relativity, newtonian time conception is confirmed and the only thing that changes is manner of measurement. Also in quantum mechanics many structures and mathematical patterns has extracted of Newtonian mechanics. If we don’t consider relativity and quantum mechanics then, in the same macroscopic world, there are different reasons that indicate newtonian mechanics is containing of arguments so that can be contestable. Physicists at the end of 19 th century reached the consensus that the relation F=ma was just a definition, because the only quantity that can be measured unambiguously is the acceleration [1, 2]. Some researchers have performed in the attention to modify Newton’s second law and experimentally test for it [3, 4, 5, 6]. First we should point that, although structural engineering science and relief progresses of it is based on the newtonian dynamics but many before 17 th century have constructed magnificent buildings that complexity and fragility have done in them are witness violence of builders on the construction science. In addition to this, what we are reading in kinematics and dynamics was evaluating as natural science and was proving in philosophical debates with more qualitative cases, which were forgotten because of emergence of some people such as Galileo and Newton so that substituted by quantitative laws. We hold that former philosophers such as Aristotle, Philoponus, and Avicenna, Descartes paved the way for newtonian mechanics. To emerge our ancestors contribution and noticeable works into of to-day science have tried in many literatures. For example Avicenna, Persian physician and philosopher, was one of the greatest science philosophers in the history. Today, his contribution in projectile motion [7] and dynamics [8] is clear. In any case, Newton's theory is using as a powerful theory whether touched of his ancestors or considerable works that he did in his contemporary. We know that even the principle of least action that we can conclude Newton's second law from it, is a strong confirmed for Newton's theory. However, there are some debates that with respect to them, this theory can be contestable. II. NEWTON'S THEORY IN A GLANCE Before Newton, Avicenna has presented an important philosophical conception which is the dualism between subject and object. Also, Descartes tried to algebraic geometry and definition coordinates and they prepared conditions for Newton's theory [9]. Since both of these cases (dualism and algebraic geometry) do use in newtonian mechanics. For example in classical mechanics we consider physical parameters belong to body as objective qualities. There is one question once more: do object’s geometrical dimensions have impressive contribution in this view? Avicenna held that object’s geometrical dimensions influence on the celerity and sluggishness, but Jean Buridan didn't accept that.