The World (Descartes) - Cartesian Laws of Motion

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:

  1. “…each particular part of matter always continues in the same state unless collision with others forces it to change its state.”
  2. “…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…”
  3. “…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.

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