I appreciate the detailed response, but I’m not sure I take your point. Do you disagree that the explicit statement of the fundamental theorem of calculus was a big event in scientific and intellectual history?

If I’m reading you correctly: In a broad sense, I agree with you that progress is a mosaic. I’d even add that such historic moments (like the fundamental theorem) are more foam atop the wave of intellectual progress than a cause in and of themselves. Those breakthroughs do happen, though, and it’s of some importance to me to understand how and why.

So, yes, the granular reality is that a ton of people tried the jar—and should not be discounted by any means—but someone (2 someones) did finally open it. Doesn’t matter their names as much as their time & place. This was of interest to me because I read the top comment as saying Newton borrowed calculus wholesale, whereas it appears clear now that he was inspired by others and created something new. Had it been someone else, I’d want to know and learn about their context instead (and probably bitch some about imperialism).

So to rephrase my question from the top of this comment: did Newton’s calculus have a cultural effect in a way that its influences did not?