One of the (gentle!) giants in the study of the history and philosophy of science (and the history of the philosophy of science), Ernan McMullin, has passed away. I'll let others try to evaluate his scholarship and character in more comprehensive fashion. I only met him a few times, but he was always generous and very open-minded toward junior scholars and PhD students. Most recently he was guest of honor at a conference I co-organized (with Zvi Biener and Ted McGuire) at Pitt on Newton and Empiricism, where he actively engaged in all the discussions. His Newton on Matter and Activity (1978) is the classic monograph in Newton studes.
I have a forthcoming paper ("Newton's Challenge to Philosophy") in the first essue HOPOS in which I engage critically and extensively with his important 2001 Philosophy of Science article "The Impact of Newton's Principia on the Philosophy of Science" (reproduced here.) I am under the impression that Ernan also has an article forthcoming in the issue; I can't wait to read it!
Finally, Some low country pride: McMullin received his PhD from Leuven (1947)!
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