The First Principles of Natural Things

vortex, being surrounded with a crust of Finites In Swedenborg's system, "Finites" are the fundamental building blocks of matter that have specific boundaries and limitations. of the fourth order original: "fourth genus", was thus the original chaos of the earth and the planets. Because this crust enclosed the sun—or the space consisting of the Actives Swedenborg defines "Actives" as pure, self-moving forces or points of energy. of the first and second order—while the fourth-order Finites exerted pressure from the outside, such a chaos resembled nothing so much as an elementary particle. In such a particle, the Actives exert pressure from within, while the Finites or Passives occupy the surface. Thus, through a very simple process, nature produced a chaotic state from which she later brought forth the planets. In this way, nature remains consistent, acting similarly in her largest works as she does in her smallest.

Consequently, the Earth, when first formed near the sun, consisted of these fourth-order Finites. Just like a smaller Finite particle, it possessed a motion of its parts, an axial motion original: "axillary motion"; the rotation of a body on its own axis., and a local motion. Thus, the Earth itself was an image of a large Finite; and in its local and annual movement, it was an image of a large Active. From this, we can see in the Earth and other planets the true nature of the Finite and the Active within their specific limits. We can also see in that original chaos the true nature of an elementary particle. However, these subjects should be explored in the work itself, where they are discussed under the following headings:

On the existence of the sun and the formation of the solar vortex, Part I., Chap. x.

On the comparison of the starry heaven with the magnetic sphere, Part III., Chap. i.

On the diversities of worlds, Chap. ii.

On the universal chaos of the sun and planets, and the separation of its substance into planets and satellites, Chap. iv.

On the vortex surrounding the earth, and the progression of the earth from the sun to the circle of its orbit, Chap. xi.

On the paradisiacal state of this earth, and on the first man, Chap. xii.

Throughout these chapters, the reader can see the velocities, orbital periods, and centripetal forces of the planets at their respective distances from their own sun. The cause of the eccentricity The degree to which a planet's orbit deviates from a perfect circle. of their orbits is also explained, along with how the Earth passed through countless changes before it reached