This article describes the most important ideas of Kirchhoff's conception of mechanics as he formulated it in the first edition of his famous treatise on this science, published in 1876. It also discusses why Kirchhoff did not explicitly present arguments in favor of his conception, and argues that his silence can be explained by his refusal to take part in debates on the foundations of mechanics. In other words, Kirchhoff kept silent because he did not want to engage in discussion with philosophers, especially those inspired by Idealism or Hegelianism.
Kirchhoff; Mechanics; Metaphysics; History of science