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Principia Quotes

Browse 7 quotes about Principia.

Principia Quotes

“It is good to recall that three centuries ago, around the year 1660, two of the greatest monuments of modern history were erected, one in the West and one in the East; St. Paul's Cathedral in London and the Taj Mahal in Agra. Between them, the two symbolize, perhaps better than words can describe, the comparative level of architectural technology, the comparative level of craftsmanship and the comparative level of affluence and sophistication the two cultures had attained at that epoch of history. But about the same time there was also created—and this time only in the West—a third monument, a monument still greater in its eventual import for humanity. This was Newton's Principia, published in 1687. Newton's work had no counterpart in the India of the Mughals.”

Culture Genius West East Monument Newton Craftsmanship Taj Mahal Isaac Newton Principia Principia Mathematica

Book:Ideals and Realities: Selected Essays of Abdus Salam

Source: Ideals and Realities: Selected Essays of Abdus Salam

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.”

Science Principia

Book:The Correspondence of Isaac Newton: Volume 5, 1709–1713

Source: The Correspondence of Isaac Newton: Volume 5, 1709–1713

“The known is finite, the unknown infinite; intellectually we stand on an islet in the midst of an illimitable ocean of inexplicability. Our business in every generation is to reclaim a little more land, to add something to the extent and the solidity of our possessions. And even a cursory glance at the history of the biological sciences during the last quarter of a century is sufficient to justify the assertion, that the most potent instrument for the extension of the realm of natural knowledge which has come into men's hands, since the publication of Newton's ‘Principia’, is Darwin's ‘Origin of Species.”

“In science its main worth is temporary, as a stepping-stone to something beyond. Even [Newton's] Principia ... is truly but the beginning of a natural philosophy. Co-author with his brother Julius Hare.”

Philosophy Science Natural Brother Stones Temporary Newton Stepping Stones Hares Julius Natural Philosophy Principia

Author:Augustus William Hare

“I am delighted to know that Principia Mathematica can now be done by machinery. . . I am quite willing to believe that anything in deductive logic can be done by machinery.”

Knows Believe Done Belief Willing Logic Machinery Delighted Principia

Author:Bertrand Russell

“Nobody since Newton has been able to use geometrical methods to the same extent for the like purposes; and as we read the Principia we feel as when we are in an ancient armoury where the weapons are of gigantic size; and as we look at them we marvel what manner of man he was who could use as a weapon what we can scarcely lift as a burden.”

Men Feels Looks Has Beens Use Able Purpose Weapons Method Ancient Size Burden Lifts Newton Principia

Author:William Whewell

“I esteem his understanding and subtlety highly, but I consider that they have been put to ill use in the greater part of his work, where the author studies things of little use or when he builds on the improbable principle of attraction. Writing about Newton's Principia. Huygens had some time earlier indicated he did not believe the theory of universal gravitation, saying it 'appears to me absurd.'”

Writing Believe Littles Has Beens Use Science Understanding Principles Study Greater Theory Universal Ill Attraction Absurd Esteem Newton Subtlety Improbable Gravitation Principia

Author:Christiaan Huygens