《自然哲学的数学原理》是经典力学的部经典著作，是划时代的巨著，也是人类掌握的个完整的科学的宇宙论和科学理论体系，其影响所及，遍布经典自然科学的所有领域，其在物理学、数学、天文学和哲学等领域产生了巨大影响。
《自然哲学的数学原理》开创了自然科学的全新纪元，并深刻影响人类社会历史走向，是永不褪色的皇皇巨著。
本书牛顿（Newton，1642—1727）用拉丁语写成，于1687年、1718年、1726年出版了三个版本。莫特（Andrew Motte，1696—1734）于1729年翻译出版了本书的英文版，卡加里（Florian Cajori，1859—1930）对莫特的英译本进行了修订，1934年由加利福尼亚大学出版社出版，本次影印的是1946年的第2印次本。

牛顿（1642-1727），英国物理学家、数学家、天文学家，曾任剑桥大学教授，英国皇家学会会长。牛顿是经典物理学体系的建立者，在光学上创立了“微粒说”，他和德国哲学家、数学家莱布尼兹各自独立创建了微积分。

PORTRAIT OF NEWTON IN THE PEPYSIAN COLLECTION
EDITOR'S NOTE. By R. T. Crawlord
TITLE PAGE OF THE FIRST EDITION OF THE Principia
PRINCIPIA
ODE BY EDMUND HALLEY. Translated by Leon I. Richardson
PRFACES TO THE FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD EDITIONS
DEFINITIONS
AXIOMS,OR LAWS OF MOTION
BOOK I. THE MOTION OF BODIES
SECTION
I. Method of first and last ratios
II. Determination of centripetal forces
III. Motion of bodies in eccentric conic sections
IV. Determination of elliptic, parabolic, and hyperbolic orbits, from the locus given
V. Determination of orbits when neither focus is given
VI. Determination of motions in given orbits
VII. Rectilinear ascent and descent of bodies .
VIII. Determination of orbits in which bodies will revolve, being acted upon by any sort of centripetal lorce
IX. Motion of bodies in movable orbits; and the motion of the apsides
X. Motion of bodies in given surfaces; and the oscillating pendu-lous motion of bodies
XI. Motion of bodies tending to each other with centripetal forces
XII. Attractive forces of spherical bodies
XIII. Attractive forces of bodies which are not spherical
XIV. Motion of very small bodies when agitated by centripetal forces tending to the several parts of any very great body
BOOK II. THE MOTION OF BODIES
SECTION
I. Motion of bodies that are resisted in the ratio of the velocity
II. Motion of bodies that are resisted as the square of their velocitieJ
III. Motion of bodies that are resisted partly in the ratio of the ve-locities, and partly as the square of the same ratio
IV. Circular motion of bodies in resisting mediums
V. Density and compression of fluids; hydrostatics
VI. Motion and resistance of pendulous bodies
VII. Motion of fluids, and the resistance made to.projected bodies
VIII. Motion propagated through fluids
IX. Circular motion of fluids
BOOK III. THE SYSTEM OF THE WORLD
RULES OF REASONING IN PHILOSOPHY
PHENOMENA
PROPOSITIONS
MOTION OF THE MOON'S NODES
GENERAL SCHOLIUM
THE SYSTEM OF THE WORLD
SYSTEM OF THE WORLD
APPENDIX
NOTES,HISTORICAL AND EXPLANATORY,PREPARED BY THE REVISER