Cartesian Laws of Motion
The motion of these particles and all other objects in nature are subject to the laws of motion Descartes had observed:
- “…each particular part of matter always continues in the same state unless collision with others forces it to change its state.”
- “…when one of these bodies pushes another, it cannot give the 2nd any motion, except by losing as much of its own motion at the same time…”
- “…when a body is moving…each of its parts individually tends always to continue moving along a straight line” (Gaukroger)
Descartes in Principles of Philosophy added to these his laws on elastic collision.
Read more about this topic: The World (Descartes)
Famous quotes containing the words laws and/or motion:
“What a pity if we do not live this short time according to the laws of the long time,—the eternal laws!”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“When desire, having rejected reason and overpowered judgment which leads to right, is set in the direction of the pleasure which beauty can inspire, and when again under the influence of its kindred desires it is moved with violent motion towards the beauty of corporeal forms, it acquires a surname from this very violent motion, and is called love.”
—Socrates (469–399 B.C.)