Selections from the Principles of Philosophy

The Principles of Philosophy, originally published in Latin in 1644, and translated to French in 1647, sets forth the principles of nature--the Laws of Physics--as Descartes viewed them. The book provides a systematic statement of natural philosophy and metaphysics, and represents the first truly comprehensive, mechanistic account of the universe. The Selections from the Principles of Philosophy contains the whole of the first part of the book ("Of the Principles of Human Knowledge"), as well as selections from the second ("Of the Principles of Material Things"), third ("Of the Visible World"), and fourth part ("Of the Earth") of the book. (Foon)