In my experience, some of Newton’s laws are right on while others no longer accurately describe the universe that I exist in. Let’s take them one at a time:
1) “We are to admit no more causes of natural things such as are both true and sufficient to explains their appearances”…in other words, don’t look for supernatural causes, that’s the domain of the church! Well, this sort of artificial separation of church and state might work for the purpose of government (and certainly they protected Newton and allowed him to do his work in a politically charged climate) –but- it does not accurately reflect my world-view. I believe, that what gives rise to my experience of reality, arises from a local interaction of the non-local, unified field with itself. It is from this original, intelligent, primordial substance that everything, all vibrations, all emanations, all material substance emerges; which includes both natural and supernatural phenomenon.
2) “The same natural effects must be assigned to the same causes, ie: cause & effect”. Restated, this law means that to every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. Well, interestingly enough, I was originally going to argue that this law doesn’t realistically reflect the law of Karma, which is what I equate it to. However, according to our Vedic Astrology teacher, Hart de Fouw, it most certainly does. So, I stand corrected, and learn once more at a still deeper level. Here’s what Hart has to say about Karma:
“The Law of Karma is another name for Newton’s Third Law of Motion…as such it is inherent in the universe’s structure: ‘The doctrine of act and fruit, is less a product of man’s sense of justice, that one shall be punished for what one has done, than a necessary consequence of the doctrine of inherent efficacy of the acts’. In other words, the tree and the thing from which it sprang cannot exist simultaneously; the former must develop from the latter. Events occur in our universe according to a sequence which is scheduled by the Law of Karma on the great calendar known as time.”
So, basically, this law is still fully in effect in my life…
3) “Qualities of bodies are to be esteemed universal”…Well, we know from Quantum Mechanics that the classical laws of Physics breakdown in the Quantum Mechanical environment…where things do not behave as one would expect. So, in an expanded view of the universe, this law loses its integrity in my estimation.
4) “Properties deduced form the observation of phenomena”…in other words, the ‘Scientific Method’. Again, here I would take issue with Newton’s view since we know that this also breaks down under the circumstances of Quantum Mechanics…where the observer actually influences the experiment. This then, would mean that these observations can’t be viewed objectively as accurate, because as such they are more a reflection of the state of consciousness of the mind that perceived them, than they are of an independent statement of objective, scientific fact.