I don't have the quotes at fingertip, but the phrase probably refers to Berkeley's critique of the metaphysics of calculus.
Newton's method of determining the limit involved the use of triangles whose side adjacent to the curve was gradually 
reduced so that the known properties of geometry could explain the slope of the curve.  Newton lays this out in Book
I of the Principia.  Obviously the size of the side facing the curve and the area of the triangle were gradually reduced--
hence the reference to vanishing quantities.  

Scot A. Stradley, Ph.D.
Professor of Finance
Offutt School of Business
Concordia College
Moorhead, MN 56562

________________________________________
From: Societies for the History of Economics [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Nicholas Theocarakis [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2014 6:44 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [SHOE] ghostly fingers

Dear Alain
I did a check on Google Books setting time parameters. The phrase "ghostly fingers" does not appear before the 19th century.
This might help.
Nikos


On Sat, Jul 26, 2014 at 9:58 AM, Alain Alcouffe <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
Dear Colleagues,
In the Methodology of economics, Mark Blaug wrote :
he was unable to meet the objection of many of his contemporaries that the very notion of gravity
acting instantaneously at a distance without any material medium to carry the force - ghostly fingers clutching through the void! - is utterly metaphysical. (cf. snd edition, p. 6).
Actually Blaug has added several references in footnote 2:
Toulmin, S., and J. Goodfield. 1963. The Fabric of the Heavens. London: Penguin Books., pp. 281-2;
Toulmin and Goodfield, 11965. The Architecture of Matter. London: Penguin Books, pp. 217-20;
Hanson, N. R. 1965. Patterns of Discovery. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 90-1;
Losee, J. 1972. A Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Science. London: Oxford University
Press., pp. 90-3
But I could not check any (except Losee). When I read this sentence three decades ago, I took  "ghostly fingers" for an allusion to Berkeley's Analyst (Criticising "fluxions", Berkeley wrote: May we not call them the ghosts of departed quantities?). But working on Smith's History of Astronomy, I am afraid I was wrong and Mark Blaug did not quote Berkeley at all and could have another author or passage in mind. Has anybody a suggestion? (I cannot check Blaug's references myself except Losee)
best regards


---
Ce courrier électronique ne contient aucun virus ou logiciel malveillant parce que la protection avast! Antivirus est active.
http://www.avast.com