A View of Sir Isaac Newton's PhilosophyPemberton, Henry
Science
A View of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy
Pemberton, Henry
Newton, Isaac, 1642-1727. Principia
11. THUS we see how the first of the laws of motion agrees with
what appears to us in moving bodies. But here occurs this farther
consideration, that the real and absolute motion of any body is not
visible to us: for we are our selves also in constant motion along with
the earth whereon we dwell; insomuch that we perceive bodies to move
so far only, as their motion is different from our own. When a body
appears to us to lie at rest, in reality it only continues the motion,
it has received, without putting forth any power to change that motion.
If we throw a body in the course or direction, wherein we are carried
our selves; so much motion as we seem to have given to the body, so
much we have truly added to the motion, it had, while it appeared to us
to be at rest. But if we impel a body the contrary way, although the
body appears to us to have received by such an impulse as much motion,
as when impelled the other way; yet in this case we have taken from the
body so much real motion, as we seem to have given it. Thus the motion,
which we see in bodies, is not their real motion, but only relative
with respect to us; and the forementioned observations only shew us,
that this first law of motion has place in this relative or apparent
motion. However, though we cannot make any observation immediately on
the absolute motion of bodies, yet by reasoning upon what we observe
in visible motion, we can discover the properties and effects of real
motion.
12. WITH regard to this first law of motion, which is now under
consideration, we may from the foregoing observations most truly
collect, that bodies are disposed to continue in the absolute motion,
which they have once received, without increasing or diminishing their
velocity. When a body appears to us to lie at rest, it really preserves
without change the motion, which it has in common with our selves:
and when we put it into visible motion, and we see it continue that
motion; this proves, that the body retains that degree of its absolute
motion, into which it is put by our acting upon it: if we give it such
an apparent motion, which adds to its real motion, it preserves that
addition; and if our acting on the body takes off from its real motion,
it continues afterwards to move with no more real motion, than we have
left it.
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