Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica Quotes

“It is a property of Rest, that bodies really at rest do rest in respect of one another.”

“All things are placed in Time as to order of Succession; and in Space as to order of Situation.”

“These are therefore the absolute places; and translations out of those places, are the only Absolute Motions.”

“Therefore, if surrounding bodies are mov'd, those that are relatively at rest within them, will partake of their motion.”

“Such is the dimension of a subterraneous, an aereal, or celestial space, determin'd by its position in respect of the Earth.”

“Absolute and Relative space, are the same in figure and magnitude; but... not... always numerically the same.”

“[E]ntire and absolute motions can be no otherwise determined than by immoveable places... but relative ones to moveable places.”

“Ian Bruce translation of 3rd ed. with notes.”

“The Causes by which true and relative motions are distinguished... are the forces impress'd upon bodies to generate motion.”

“It is from their essence or nature that they are Places; and that the primary places of things should be moveable, is absurd.”

“III. Place is a part of space... a body takes up, and, is according to the space, either absolute or relative.”

“But the faces which follow being known, and consequently, the opposite ones that precede, we would likewise know the determination of their motions.”

“It is a property of motion, that the parts, which retain given positions to their wholes, do partake of the motions of those wholes.”

“Wikipedia: Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica”

“Positions properly have no quantity, nor are they so much the places themselves, as the properties of places.”

“But because the parts of Space cannot be seen, or distinguished from one another by our Senses therefore in their stead we use sensible measures of them.”

“And therefore this endeavour does not depend upon any translation of the water in respect of the ambient bodies, nor can true circular motion be defin'd by such translations.”

“Percival Frost translation (1863) Setions 1-3 with notes, illustrations & problems*rchive.org”

“For there are no such forces in a circular motion purely relative, but in a true and absolute circular motion, they are greater or less, according to the quantity of the motion.”

“[N]o other places are immoveable, but those that, from infinity to infinity, do all retain the same given positions one to another... ever... unmov'd... immoveable space.”