Isaac Newton's (1642-1725) most influential writing was his Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), published in sections between the years 1667-86. It united two competing strands of...

I FOR PLATO, PRINCIPLES WERE THE ROOT-SOURCE (archai) of being or of knowledge. (1) For Aristotle, they were the "first cause" of being, of becoming, or of being known (hothen he estin he gignetai he gignosketai). (2) Much the same conception is...

The Moral Duties of American Hegemony War is the realm of danger; therefore courage is the soldier's first requirement. Courage is of two kinds: courage in the face of personal danger, and courage to accept responsibility, either before the tribunal of some outside...

In the following essay, Ellis studies the historical origins of Newton's laws of motion and argues that contrary to popular belief the laws are more derivative of the physics of Descartes than the theories of Galileo. Ellis further emphasizes the conceptual nature of the laws, maintaining that they are not derived from or supported by observation or experimentation.

In the following essay, Cohen offers an overview of the developments in the scientific community during Newton's time. Cohen then identifies the qualities of Newton's Principia that made the work so revolutionary.

In the following excerpt, Dobbs and Jacob survey Newton's life and works, highlighting Newton's primary beliefs, influences, and discoveries up to his writing of the Principia.