The principia; or, The first principles of natural things, tr. by A. Clissold |
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
Common terms and phrases
according action active angle appear arises arrive attractive axillary axis become body boundary cause centre circles circumference compounded compression conatus conceived connexion consequently consists contiguity derived describe direction distance effect effluvia element elementary particles equal equator exist experiments extending figure finite fire flow follows force geometry given grains gravity greater greatest hence immediately inasmuch inches individual Infinite iron kind larger least less limit magnet manner mass means mechanical medium mode motion moved mutual nature needle observed occupy operation organs origin pass perfect perfectly perpetually philosopher poles possess present pressure principles proceed produced progressive proportion pure ratio reason receive regard regular remains respect result round second finite senses side similar simple situation smaller space sphere spiral spires substantial subtile successively superficies surface tend things third tion unless volume vortex vorticles weight whole
Popular passages
Page 84 - He proved, for example, that when a metal disk is caused to rotate so as to be tangent to the lines of force, no current appears ; while when the...
Page 17 - ... much to do with the production of the sense of sight. But in the clearest way Swedenborg propounds this theory. He says : " The ether seems to have formed in the eye a mechanism of its own by which its vibrations can be received.
Page 6 - ... distinctly to the mind. We here make an extract for the purpose of giving a specimen of his style at this period. Speaking of the futility of multiplying experiments and observations to the neglect of attending to their causes, he says: ' Nature may be styled a labyrinth, whose intricacies you are anxious to explore. Fruitless would be the attempt to wander through its meandering turns, and note the dimensions of all its ways ; the difficulty would but grow the more inextricable, you would pursue...
Page 374 - Work) the Arcana which are predicted therein, and which have hitherto been concealed. To which is added, a SUMMARY EXPOSITION of the Internal Sense of the Prophetical Books of the Old Testament, and of the Psalms of David, with a twofold Index.
Page 374 - THE CORONIS, OR APPENDIX, TO THE TRUE CHRISTIAN Religion : Treating of the Four Churches on this Earth...
Page 35 - ... art, image, and connexion of the world, before the existence of vice One reason why man in a state of integrity was made a complete philosopher, was, that he might better know how to venerate the Deity, the origin of all things, or that being who is all in all. For no man can be a complete and truly learned philosopher, without the utmost devotion for the Supreme Being. True philosophy and contempt of the Deity are two opposites. Veneration for the Infinite Being...
Page 3 - But with respect to the soul and its various faculties, I do not think it possible that they can be explained or comprehended by any of the laws of motion known to us ; such indeed is our present state of ignorance, that we know not whether the motions by which the soul operates on the organs of the body are such as to be reducible to any rule or law, either similar or dissimilar to those of our mechanics.
Page 35 - Without the utmost reverence for the Supreme Being, no one can be a complete and truly learned philosopher. True philosophy and contempt of the Deity are two opposites. Veneration for the Infinite Being can never be separated from philosophy; for he who fancies himself wise while his wisdom does not teach him to acknowledge a Divine and Infinite Being, that is, he who thinks he can possess any wisdom without a knowledge and veneration of the Deity, has not even a particle of wisdom.
Page 13 - He who is possessed of scientific knowledge, and is merely skilled in experiment, has taken only the first step to wisdom ; for such a person is only acquainted with what is posterior, and is ignorant of what is prior ; thus his wisdom does not extend beyond the organs of the senses, and is unconnected with reason; when nevertheless true wisdom embraces both.
Page 63 - ... perpetually circular ; that is to say, it must proceed from the centre to the periphery, and from the periphery to the centre. If therefore the motion be perpetually circular, from the centre to the periphery, and reciprocally from the periphery to the centre, or if it be equally diffused throughout, it must necessarily be of a spiral figure, which is the most perfect of all figures.
Bibliographic information
| Title | The principia; or, The first principles of natural things, tr. by A. Clissold The principia; or, The first principles of natural things, tr. by A. Clissold, Emanuel Swedenborg |
| Author | Emanuel Swedenborg |
| Translated by | Augustus Clissold |
| Published | 1845 |
| Original from | Oxford University |
| Digitized | Jul 31, 2006 |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |