Physical law

A physical law or a law of nature is a scientific generalization based on empirical observations. Laws of nature are conclusions drawn from, or hypotheses confirmed by scientific experiments. The production of a summary description of nature in the form of such laws is the fundamental aim of science. Laws of nature are distinct from legal code and religious Law, and should not be confused with the concept of natural law.

History, and religious influence

The idea that there are underlying laws in nature dates to prehistoric times, since even the recognition of cause-and-effect relationships is an implicit recognition that there are laws of nature. Progress in identifying laws per se, though, seems to have been hampered by belief in animism, and by the attribution of many effects that do not have readily identifiable causes—such as meteorological and astronomical phenomena—to the actions of gods. Early attempts to formulate laws in material terms were made by ancient philosophers, including Aristotle, but suffered from various misconceptions, such as the assumption that observed effects were due to intrinsic properties of objects, e.g. "heaviness", "lightness", etc.

Related Topics:
Animism - Gods - Aristotle

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The formal and precise formulation of what are today recognized as correct statements of the laws of nature did not begin until the 17th century in Europe, with the institution of the use of the scientific method. It has been suggested (for example, see Barrow (1991)) that Judaism and Christianity, with their monotheistic belief in God as Lawgiver, have played an important part in creating an ethos suitable to the initial and continuing discovery of the laws.

Related Topics:
17th century - Europe - Scientific method - Judaism - Christianity - God

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