Aristotle, Galileo, Kepler and

Company
Attempts to describe
heavenly motion

Realism vs. Instrumentalism

Instrumentalism: an idea is judged

bases on its usefulness, regardless
of its ultimate correctness

Id, Ego and Superego

Realism: an idea is judges based on

the accuracy of its description of
reality

Paradigm

Set of background beliefs that govern

allowable ideas

Can change over times in revolutions

Renaissance: God made and governs

universe. God is all powerful and
miracles are possible. Universe in
unpredictible.
Modern Paradigm: Natural Laws make
for a predictable universe, no miracles,
only natural causes

Aristotles Basic Ideas

Aristotle constructed his view of the

Universe based on a intuitive feeling of
holistic harmony.

Central to this philosophy was the concept

of teleology or final causation.
Objects, being solid like earth, would tend
to clump together with other solids (earth),
so objects tend to fall to earth, their natural
place. Thus, falling is a natural motion.

Aristotles Basic Ideas

Universe is perfect
and unchanging.
Contrast with
imperfect,
changing earth

Aristotles Universe

Now all is in harmony, the earth is at

the center of the universe and the
cosmos revolves around us in perfect
contentment

Geocentric Cosmology and the Earth is

Immobile.
Stars and planets on perfect crystalline
spheres that rotate around the Earth.
Universe is perfect and Changeless

Pythagorean Constraints

Mathematics shows universal design

and express perfection of god
Universe must follow mathematical
Constraints

All motion is in Circles, the perfect shape

All motion must take place at a constant
rate , a reflection of unchanging
Heavens
All motion around a common point

Problems in Describing
Heavenly Motion
Motion of the Sun

Daily east to west

Monthly relative to stars and moon

What time does the moon rise?

Yearly from north to south and back

(seasons)

Motion of the planets

Nightly East to west

Retrograde motion and variation in
brightness

Temporary backwards motion

Sense Observations to support Geocentrism

Stationary earth- no rotation

we dont feel it move

No constant wind from east to west
Arrow goes up and comes down in same
place

Stationary earth no
revolution around sun
No parallax: apparent
shift in position due to
motion of observer

Could be explained if
Universe is very large,
or if the earth didnt
move
waste of space

Early Greek Models-- Geocentric

Earth at the
Center
immobile
Sun and all
heavenly bodies
circle the earth
Simple circles
do not explain
retrograde
motion

Early Greek: Circles and more circles

Epicycles and
Equants: circles
revolving around an
invisible revolving
point

Greek Models: Heliocentric

Heraclitus partial heliocentric (sun at
center, earth revolves around sun, all else
aroudn the earth
Aristarchus completely heliocentric

Summary of Greek Models

All were seen

instrumentally
Aristotle supported
geocentric as more
reasonable
Geocentric improved
by Ptolomy

Used over 80 circles

Gave predictions
(sunrise, seasons, etc)
accurate to about 1%

Situation in the Renaissance

Ptolomy is still
dominant model

St. Thomas Aquinas

worked to unify Catholic
theology with Aristotle
Earth (man) at center of
the universe: logical
spots for heaven and hell
Columbus and Magellan
navigated oceans using
Ptolomy

Situation in the Renaissance

Copernicus (14751543) reintroduces

Heliocentricism

Added Information for Copernicus

Copernicus was Polish cannon (religious man)

Thought Ptolomy was too awkward; God
wouldnt make such a system
Neo-Platonism: Wanted physical symbol
(sun) to represent God as the center of the
universe
Calculations were Easier: System used
48 circles instead of 80, accuracy was
no better than for Ptolomy
Book published posthumously. Preface stated
it was to be seen instrumentally, but
Copernicus probably though it was real

Reaction to Copernicus

Then spake Joshua to the Lord . . . and

said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou
still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the
valley of Ajalon.
And the sun stood still, and the moon
stayed, until the people had avenged
themselves upon their enemies. . . So the
sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and
hasted not to go down about a whole day.

Joshua 10: 12-13 KJV

Augustines Axiom

When a demonstrated
scientific fact
contradicts a literal
interpretation of
scripture, the scripture
should be interpreted
metaphorically
Was the Copernican
Cosmology a
demonstrated fact?

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

1592 Professor of
Mathematics at
Padua
Did studies in
Astronomy and
Engineering
Designed and built
best telescope of
the time

What Galileo Saw With His Telescope

Mountains and valleys on the moon, not a

sphere of perfect crystal
Sunspots on the sun: inconsistent with
unchanging heavens
Four moons orbiting Jupiter showed that all
things didnt orbit around the earth

Galileos Findings

All these were consistent with Copernicus,

and not with Aristotle but they were not
conclusive
Conclusive evidence would have been
showing parallax his telescope wasnt good
enough.
Parallax would have proven that the earth
moved
Parallax wasnt shown until over 200 years
later, when better telescopes were developed

Giordano Bruno (1548-1600)

Dominican monk in Naples

Bruno defended the heliocentric
theory of Copernicus. He argued
that the universe was infinite,
that it contained an infinite
number of worlds, and that these
are all inhabited by intelligent
beings.
1592-1600 questioned by
inquisition
Refused to recant, burned at the
stake

Tycho Brahe (1546-1601)

Danish Royal
Astronomer
Assembled most
accurate data on
heavenly motion
Revised and
proposed partial
heliocentric
(heraclitus) model

Brahes model about as easy to use as

Copernican
Didnt go against Scripture or reason

Earth still didnt seem to be moving

Brahe didnt worry about Neoplatonic

ideals
Brahe was a protestant, so inquisition
wasnt an issue

Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)

Worked with Tycho Brahe,

and inherited his data
Protestant mystic and
neoplatonist
Considered all theories to
crude for a perfect God
Found Galileos
astronomy
uninteresting

Keplers System

Rejected Pythagorean Constraints of

circular motion and constant speed
Planets move at varying speed in
elliptical orbits around the sun

Elliptical vs Circular Motion

Summary of Models

Ptolomy: Earth at center, 80 circles,

epicycles etc. and accurate to about 1%.
Very difficult to use
Copernicus: Sun at center, 48 circles,
epicycles etc. and accurate to about 1%.
Easier to use.
Kepler: Sun at center, 7 ellipses (one for
each planet), much more accurate and
easier to use than others. This one is real

Church and the Astonomers

Aristotle fit traditional theology, place for

heaven and hell . .unchanging celestial
heavens
Theology: man made in Gods image, so
were in the center of the universe
Protestant Reformation:

Attack on authority
Priesthood of all believers
Authority comes from Gods Word, not passed
down through Popes, so words very important

Council of Trent: April 1546

No private interpretation of Scripture
(watch out Galileo)

Siege Mentality see enemies where

there are none
Jesuits founded to defend the Faith

Result: most Catholics and Protestants

chose conservative approach, resisted
heliocentricism
Many scientists also were conservative
and resisted Copernician ideas