《自然哲学的数学原理》是第一次科学革命的集大成之作，它在物理学、数学、天文学和哲学等领域产生了巨大影响。在写作方式上，牛顿遵循古希腊的公理化模式，从定义、定律（即公理）出发，导出命题；对具体的问题（如月球的运动），把从理论导出的结果和观察结果相比较。全书共分五部分，首先“定义”，这一部分给出了物质的量、时间、空间、向心力等的定义。第二部分是“公理或运动的定律”，包括著名的运动三定律。接下来的内容分为三卷。前两卷的标题一样，都是“论物体的运动”。第一卷研究在无阻力的自由空间中物体的运动，许多命题涉及已知力解定受力物体的运动状态（轨道、速度、运动时间等），以及由物体的运动状态确定所受的力。第二卷研究在阻力给定的情况下物体的运动、流体力学以及波动理论。

Front Matter
PRINCIPIA
  Ode by Edmund Halley. Translated by Leon J. Richardson
  Prefaces to the first, second, and third editions
MATHEMATICAL PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL PHILOSOPHY
  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 focus 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 force
   IX. Motion of bodies in movable orbits; and the motion of the apsides
   X. Motion of bodies in given surfaces; and the oscillating pendulous 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(IN RESISTING MEDIUMS)
  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 velocities
   III. Motion of bodies that are resisted partly in the ratio of the velocities, 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

艾萨克·牛顿（1643年1月4日—1727年3月31日）爵士，英国皇家学会会长，英国著名的物理学家，百科全书式的“全才”，著有《自然哲学的数学原理》、《光学》。