Book Cover of Selections from the Principles of Philosophy

Selections from the Principles of Philosophy

by René Descartes

The book sets forth the principles of nature the Laws of Physics as Descartes viewed them. Most notably, it set forth the principle that in the absence of external forces, an object's motion will be uniform and in a straight line. Newton borrowed this principle from Descartes and included it in his own Principia; to this day, it is still generally referred to as Newton's First Law of Motion. The book was primarily intended to replace the Aristotelian curriculum then used in French and British universities. The work provides a systematic statement of his metaphysics and natural philosophy, and represents the first truly comprehensive, mechanistic account of the universe.

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

French

Published In

1644

Author

René Descartes image

René Descartes was a French-born philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who spent a large portion of his working life in the Dutch Republic, initially serving the Dutch States Army of Mauric...

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