Clearly, Buridan, rector of the university of Paris, made all the basic breakthroughs in dynamics: he viewed force, vectorial force, as what changed impetus, and only force could modify impetus (be it a force from air resistance, or from gravity). Impetus was written by Buridan as equal to (quantity of matter)(velocity). This is the modern definition of momentum. Remember, that was before equations...

Without force applied, impetus would go on and on, either straight, or circular from gravity: thus the planets kept on turning around (Buridan observed that the heliocentric theory was as compatible with observations as the geocentric theory; his student Oresme added that it was more likely that the Earth moved and rotated than all the stars doing so, because the latter were obviously much more distant and massive; impetus theory insured the air won't be left behind).

Buridan also exposed the essence of the experimental method, decided by observing phenomena, he said. What was not compatible with phenomena, had to be ruled out (that meant Aristotle’s physics was ruled out). Buridan's student Oresme demonstrated (geometrically) the first non trivial theorems of calculus applied to motion.

First, as rector of the university of Paris, Buridan has had to generalize, and formally enable, in 1340 CE, a notion of "object of knowledge" as potentially unobservable... (Impetus, heliocentrism, etc. were not directly observable…) That was theologically dangerous.

All this was all the more remarkable as Buridan, Oresme (who became dean of the cathedral of Rouen, then a bishop!) had to stay clear from the murderous Inquisition (which considered Aristotle's physics as god-given). Thus some apparent contradictions in Buridan and Oresme, to assuage the Inquisition.

However, more than a century after his death, all of Buridan's works were outlawed on the pain of death by the Catholic church (all Buridan;s works were put in the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, the Index of Prohibited Books of the Roman Office of the Inquisition)... except in Eastern Europe, which was furious from the burning alive of Jan Hus, rector of the university of Prague in 1415 CE. In Krakow Buridan was mandatory reading at the university, thus teaching Buridan’s heliocentric theory to the young Copernicus...

Ignoring Buridan while just focusing on Newton, should be viewed as a sneaky way to glorify the Anglosphere. That is unfair not just to Buridan and another dozen intervening physicists, over those three centuries in between. It's also unfair to the process of serious scientific revolution, and the enormous boldness necessary to put it in motion.

Clearly, Buridan, rector of the university of Paris, made all the basic breakthroughs in dynamics: he viewed force, vectorial force, as what changed impetus, and only force could modify impetus (be it a force from air resistance, or from gravity). Impetus was written by Buridan as equal to (quantity of matter)(velocity). This is the modern definition of momentum. Remember, that was before equations...

Without force applied, impetus would go on and on, either straight, or circular from gravity: thus the planets kept on turning around (Buridan observed that the heliocentric theory was as compatible with observations as the geocentric theory; his student Oresme added that it was more likely that the Earth moved and rotated than all the stars doing so, because the latter were obviously much more distant and massive; impetus theory insured the air won't be left behind).

Buridan also exposed the essence of the experimental method, decided by observing phenomena, he said. What was not compatible with phenomena, had to be ruled out (that meant Aristotle’s physics was ruled out). Buridan's student Oresme demonstrated (geometrically) the first non trivial theorems of calculus applied to motion.

First, as rector of the university of Paris, Buridan has had to generalize, and formally enable, in 1340 CE, a notion of "object of knowledge" as potentially unobservable... (Impetus, heliocentrism, etc. were not directly observable…) That was theologically dangerous.

All this was all the more remarkable as Buridan, Oresme (who became dean of the cathedral of Rouen, then a bishop!) had to stay clear from the murderous Inquisition (which considered Aristotle's physics as god-given). Thus some apparent contradictions in Buridan and Oresme, to assuage the Inquisition.

However, more than a century after his death, all of Buridan's works were outlawed on the pain of death by the Catholic church (all Buridan;s works were put in the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, the Index of Prohibited Books of the Roman Office of the Inquisition)... except in Eastern Europe, which was furious from the burning alive of Jan Hus, rector of the university of Prague in 1415 CE. In Krakow Buridan was mandatory reading at the university, thus teaching Buridan’s heliocentric theory to the young Copernicus...

Ignoring Buridan while just focusing on Newton, should be viewed as a sneaky way to glorify the Anglosphere. That is unfair not just to Buridan and another dozen intervening major physicists, over those three centuries in between. It's also unfair to the process of serious scientific revolution, and the enormous boldness necessary to put it in motion.