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in the »Miscellaneous Observations» of 1722, and the culmination of
their development, the theory of motion becoming more and more
prominent, is recorded in the Second or Lesser »Principia», 1729, and in
the »Principia» of 1734.
Among the theories which Swedenborg began developing as early
as during his first visit to London, is that of tinding the longitude at sea
by means of lunar observations. His interest in this subject never waned,
and we find him reprinting and circulating his early work on the
subject even during the latter portion of his theological period, as late as
1766, when he was 78 years old. At the time when Swedenborg was
first developing this theory in London he was studying the works of
Newton, and discussing astronomical subjects with Halley and Flamsteed.
Now if Swedenborg had accepted Newton’s results, taken as a whole,
he would have rejected the theory of vortices taught by Descartes, for
Newton is opposed to the vortical theory and accepts a vacuum.
Swedenborg, however, although he very early formulated a theory of round
par-ticles which differs from that of Descartes, never gave up the theory of
various kinds of particles and vortices which Descartes had introduced
into modern physics and cosmology, and which was in those days
re-ceived everywliere, except in England, where the philosophy of Newton
won the day long before it was accepted on the Continent and in Sweden.
The condition in Sweden is well illustrated by the following question in
a letter, dated the 28th of July, 1711, written by the astronomer, Pehr
Elvius, to his former student, Swedenborg, during his visit in England.
Elvius inquires as to »what the learned mathematicians think about
Newton’s principles of the motions of the planets, since they appear to be
pure abstraction and not physical, namely, how one planetary body can
gravitate towards another, etc., which seems to be absurd». Of this
question Swedenborg says in a contemporary letter to Benzelius: »P. S.
Prof. Elvius asks what is the opinion of Englishmen with regard to
Newton’s ’Principia,’ but in this matter no Englishman ought to be consulted,
because he is blind about his own (quia caecutit in suis); and it would
be a crime to call them into doubt».
Swedenborg not only retained Descartes’ theory of vortices, but also
denied Newton’s corpuscular theory of light and doctrine of the vacuum.
Descartes also denied a vacuum, and it is wrell known that Swedenborg
formulated a wonderful undulatory theory of light, very early ranking
himself on the side of those wdio hold light to be a motion, namely,
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