  As it is well known, classical mechanics consists of several basic features
like determinism, reductionism, completeness of knowledge and mechanicism. In
this article the basic assumptions are discussed which underlie those features.
It is shown that these basic assumptions - though universally assumed up the
beginnings of the XX century - are far from being obvious. Finally it is shown
that - to a certain extent - there is nothing wrong in assuming these basic
postulates. Rather, the error lies in the epistemological absolutization of the
theory, which was considered as a mirroring of Nature.
