UNIVERSITY PHYSICS I CHAPTER 1 Prelude 81.1 Physics as Natural Philosophy Physics is one of the liberal arts combining elements of reason, philosophy, mathematics, language, and rhetoric. The term natural philosophy reflects the creative and dynamic interplay that exists in physics among experiment, theory, logic, insight, inspiration, symmetry, beauty, and language.1 §1.1 Physics as Natural Philosophy Physics is one of the liberal arts, combining elements of reason, philosophy, mathematics, language, and rhetoric. The term natural philosophy reflects the creative and dynamic interplay that exists in physics among experiment, theory, logic, insight, inspiration,symmetry, beauty, and language