Principles of Philosophy

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The illustration of movement of objects from the Principles
Descartes-moncornet.jpg
Part of a series on
René Descartes
Cartesianism
Rationalism
Foundationalism
Doubt & Certainty
Dream argument
Cogito ergo sum
Trademark argument
Mind-body dichotomy
Analytic geometry
Coordinate system
Cartesian circle
Folium
Rule of signs
Cartesian diver
Balloonist theory
Works
The World
Discourse on the Method
La Géométrie
Meditations on First Philosophy
Principles of Philosophy
Passions of the Soul
Notable People
Christina of Sweden
Baruch Spinoza
Gottfried Leibniz

Principles of Philosophy (Principia philosophiae) was written in Latin by René Descartes. Published in 1644, it set forth the principles of nature--the Laws of Physics--as Descartes viewed them. It was primarily intended to replace the Aristotelian curriculum then used in French and British Universities. Descartes's use of the word philosophy" in the title refers to "natural philosophy," which is what science was called at that time.