Forschungen und Materialien zur deutschen Aufklärung / Abteilung III: Indices. Kant-Index. Section 3: Index zum Corpus der vorkritischen Schriften. Band 37.1-2: Stellenindex und Konkordanz zur ›Allgemeinen Naturgeschichte und Theorie des Himmels‹

The ›Allgemeine Naturgeschichte und Theorie des Himmels‹ (Universal Natural History and Theory of Heaven) belongs somewhere between natural science and natural philosophy. Based on the findings of Newtonian physics, this work attempts to provide a mechanistic explanation of the universe which, according to Kant, is nevertheless compatible with the standards of religion. Studies are still disputing whether or not this was really Kant's goal and the extent to which he reached it. The controversy surrounding this work, which gave an explanation of the origins of the planetary system which was basically correct and which later on became famous under the name »Kant-Laplace'sche Theorie« (Kant-Laplace theory), does not always seem to be based on an adequate understanding of the text. This index, along with a concordance, provides a tool for an appropriate interpretation of the work, in addition to its significance for an analysis of Kant's linguistic development.