George Berkeley's Analyst elicited a number of responses. One of these was by a Dublin mathematician, Jacob Walton, who in 1735 published A Vindication of Sir Isaac Newton's Principles of Fluxions, against the Objections contained in the Analyst. (For more information on Jacob Walton, see Ruth Wallis, `Who was J. Walton, adversary of Bishop Berkeley', Annals of science, 51 (1994) 539-540.)
Berkeley responded to Walton in an appendix to his pamphlet A Defence of Free-thinking in Mathematics. Walton then responded with The Catechism of the Author of the Minute Philosopher fully answer'd. This was followed by Berkeley with Reasons for not replying to Mr. Walton's full Answer. Walton responded to the latter with An Appendix in answer to the `Reasons for not replying to Mr. Walton's full answer', which was included with later editions of The Catechism of the Author of the Minute Philosopher fully answer'd.
A Vindication of Sir Isaac Newton's Principles of Fluxions, against the Objections contained in the Analyst, by Jacob Walton, is available here in the following formats:
The Catechism of the Author of the Minute Philosopher fully answer'd, by Jacob Walton, is available here in the following formats:
An Appendix in answer to the `Reasons for not replying to Mr. Walton's full answer', by Jacob Walton, is available here in the following formats:
This Appendix led to the publication in 1736 of Some Remarks on Mr. Walton's Appendix which he wrote in reply to the Author of the Minute Philosopher; concerning Motion and Velocity, by John Hanna.
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D.R. Wilkins