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1 results

  • 8 - Continued observations on the earthquakes that have been experienced for some time (1756)

  • Immanuel Kant
  • Edited by Eric Watkins, University of California, San Diego
  • Book:
    Kant: Natural Science
    Published online:
    05 November 2012
    Print publication:
    04 October 2012, pp 365-373

  • Summary

    This third and final essay on earthquakes by Kant continues the reflections presented in the previous two essays. Kant's primary concern is to refute various competing opinions about earthquakes, specifically, those by Gottfried Profe and Pierre Bouguer. Both agree that the Moon could bear some responsibility for this event. He says that if one considers that the gravitational forces of the celestial bodies can act on the innermost parts of matter and thus move the air in the deepest and most inaccessible passages of the Earth, then one can hardly deny the Moon some influence on earthquakes. Kant mentions that a report by Gassendi suggested that a rare conjunction of the three outer planets, which had occurred in 1604, resulted in no significant earthquakes, thus contradicting Profe's theory. Kant concludes his treatment of earthquakes with a brief reiteration of the main contours of his theory.