Lecture 7: Islamic Science Flashcards
Origin of Science and Philosophy up to this point?
Philosophy = foot notes to Plato Science = foot notes to Aristotle
Why would religion want to know NS?
You wouldn’t listen to anything a moon landing debunker says
Abrahamic Monotheism
One true god revealed himself to Abraham, and we should worship and praise God. Abraham is an exemplar of how to do this.
Christianity
Judaism
Islam
Key difference:
Was Jesus a Prophet, Son of God, Messiah?
Irreconcilable differences despite core beliefs
- > show how, why region divided
- > show how important religion was
- > importance of debate, no blind faith, very intellectual religions that try and get it right (Arist’s THE TOPICS)
Jewish Beliefs?
Earliest devotees to Abrahamic
The chosen people descended from Abraham
-Holy books produced by Moses, Joshua…
->messengers of god
God asked Abraham to kill his son Isaac
->Abraham does it, though God saves him
A messiah will come, and bring peace to the people
Jesus is a Jewish man, raised in Roman control
- > preached around Jerusalem
- > HE IS THE PROPHESIZED MESSIAH
- > not a son of god
Muslim Beliefs?
"One who submits to god" Jesus is Messiah and Prophet of God ->had divine revelation ->Rejects divinity of Jesus Muslims are followers of prophet Muhammad
Prophet Muhammad ~570AD
- > Nestorian Christianity dominates Arabian peninsular
- > humanity of Christianity > divinity
- > he’s the final prophet, the Seal on prophet lineage
Hadith = stories of Muhammad’s life
Originally, Quran is Memorised
->b/c/ tribal, move arounds
Christian Beliefs?
Becomes official religion
->spread of Christianity well bring about the Messianic age of peace
But who correctly follows him?
- > many traditions by region
- > theological disputes
Gospel is story of his life, Bible is literal words of God. (Like Qu’ran and Hadith)
Islamic Translation Movement
In golden age, Abassids found House of Wisdom in Baghdad
Why? ->religious motivation ->practical value Who? ->all types, specialists How? ->paper, Baghdad paper mill ->\$\$\$\$ from Caliphs (esp. Abbasids) When? ->6th C, picks up in 8th C, total 500 years
Why would Muslims value Astronomy?
Used like planning like others
->agriculture…
Islam!
- > Lunar calendar, not Solar
- > pray 5x facing Mecca
Half of our stars are Arabic! (e.g. Vega, Betlejuice)
Azimuth, Zenith….
What did the Muslim world contribute to Algebra?
Inventing balancing of equations!
->and readily used it in the world
Algebra was possible because:
- > base 10 decimal notation!
- > zero place holder
“Hindu-Arabic” or Arabic numerals still used today
Contributions to Optics?
Extramission ->Ptolemy, Euclid ->Plato's Timaeus, fire in the eyes Intromission ->Aristotle's colour waves ->Alhazen's light rays bounce, enter eyes@right angle
Alhazen is an OG, who combined Geometric explanations like Euclid with Aristotle’s intromission.
- > light is a thing
- > treating as such lets you study it
Alchemy!
Science of substantial change
->chinea, metalworking
Produce, Categorise, Treat substances
->mostly purification, transformation
Tools!
-> beakers, reaction vessels
“alcohol, alkaline”
Theoretical Frameworks!
Jabir ibn Hayyan
- > Mercury-Sulphur theory, 4+2 elements
- > Sulphur, Mercury vapours bubble through earth
- > ratio they combine in gives all metals
- > do not confuse with Mercury, Sulfur elements
Gives idea transformation of metals
->and purification, and recombinationQ
Occasionalist Theology?
God’s continued intervention is all that drives this world. There are no hidden causes, only God’s will, so stop trying to understand the world.
