Task 2 through the lens of new science Flashcards
Geocentric model of the universe (16th century)
o Described by Aristoteles (who built on others) and elaborated by Ptolemy
o Earth is the middle of the universe and everything rotates in a fixed way around it, between the stars were wandering stars (planets in our solar system)
o Objects have essential natures and natural tendencies
o Sublunar region is imperfection, and the superluna region is a place of perfection
o Addition of epicycles: small cycles made by wandering stars (Ptolemy)
Copernicus’s heliocentric model
o Model of the universe in which the sun is at the centre
o The earth’s turn around the sun lasts for one year, the earth spun around its own axis on one day
o Galilei kind of proved it by using a telescope
Francis bacon
o New organon:
Neither perception nor reasoning alone provides progress. Interaction of both is required
Perception is limited, can be biased
Make observations more systematic
Craftsmen and natural philosophers should experiment, the philosophers can go further than solving practical problems which are then called experimenta lucifera (light bringing experiment)
Observation must result in deeper understanding and provide new research thesis
natural history
inductive reasoning which leads to low and middle axioms
experimental history
natural philosopher examined the truth of the axioms and attempted to get to higher axioms by means of clarifying experiments
deductive reasoning
form of reasoning in which you start from a number of indisputable premises, from which new but also true conclusions can be drawn if the rules of logic are followed (plato)
o Supports kind of innate knowledge such as the soul this is mainly useful for the church
o Rational
Inductive reasoning
a from of reasoning in which likely conclusions are drawn on the basis of a series of converging observations
o Empiricism
Newtonian worldview
1600 AD
o The earth rotates around the sun
o There are more than 100 elements
o Objects behave as they do due to external forces
scientific revolution
name given to a series of discoveries in the 16th century involving Galilei, Descartes and Newton, that enhanced the status of science in society
- The realisation that the earth did not form the centre of universe
- The realisation that many things on earth (including the human body) could be understood as (complicated) machines
- The actual demonstration that many movements on earth could be described by a handful of relatively simple mathematical equations (laws of physics)
Why Copernicus waited to publish his model
o He was afraid of the roman catholic church (which was his employer)
o Another reason my have been that he doesn’t believed he arguments are strong enough
Demographic changes (factors that contributed to scientific revolution)
after the population was halfed in the 14th century in the 15th a new growth began
link between craft-man and intellectual people was created
Absence of stifling pressure from religion or authorities (factors that contributed to scientific revolution)
The church struggled with 2 popes and the protestant revolution was started by martin Luther (1517)
New inventions (factors that contributed to scientific revolution)
paper, printing, telescope, compass and microscope
The existence of universities and patronage (factors that contributed to scientific revolution)
Universities were criticised for being to conservative
Massive enrichments from Greek and Arabic civilization (factors that contributed to scientific revolution)
Most important
Due to the fall of Constantinople Greek scholars flew to Italy
Natural philosophy became detached from the big philosophical questions (factors that contributed to scientific revolution)
The ability to study things without the background of totality was enabled
The absence of disaster (factors that helped science to grow)
Absence of disaster in 15th to 19th century
A benevolent religion
Protestant religion supported scientific research
Establishment of learned societies
Philosophers established structures to advance and solidify their status, partly due to creation of more universities, but also through learned societies
A place to meet regularly to share ideas
Discoveries of Galilei due to a telescope
o There a more stars than we can perceive with the naked eye
o The surface of the moon isn’t smooth
o Jupiter has four orbiting moons, so the earth is not the only one anymore
o The size of mars and Venus differentiate, suggesting that its distance to the earth changes
Aristotle beliefs
o The earth is located in the centre of the universe
o The earth is stationary
o All planets move around the sun completing a revolution about every 24 hours
o In the space between earth and moon are four basic elements earth, water , fire ,air
o Everything behind the moon is made out of a fifth element ether
o Each basic element has an essential nature which controls behaviour
o The essential nature of each element is defined by how it moves
o Water and earth want in the middle of the earth, but water is less powerful
o The air is above water but below fire
o Fire has the natural tendency to move away from the centre
o Ether has the tendency of perfect circular movement
o An object in motion has to halt at some point because it gets stopped by earth or so
o An stationary object will not move until some source of motion influences it
Natural philosophy
one face of science) = emphasizes that aspect of science which is commenced with explaining and understanding the world, what is often called scientific worldview
Instrumentality
(other face of science) = is the practical efficacy which is a component of science distinguishable from its natural philosophy. Often stands for the whole science
Moder science
started in high middle ages (1277) or one can count Italian renaissance as rebirth
Rise of modern science due to two major causes
o New natural history and the methodological epistemological changes connected with it
o Transition from organistic to a mechanistic view of the world closely connected with experimental philosophy (contribution by engineers, physicians, alchemists, cartographers, pilots and instrument makers) also law of statistics, kinematics and dynamics
Mechanization
o Also implies use of mechanical (non-natural/ artificial) instruments for investigation of nature; introduction of mechanical models as explanation of natural things
o Method: embraces contents (substance) of science (nature as mechanism) as well as the method (experimental philosophy)
o Now: science as description and systematization of facts given in nature, is the product of reasoning = reason is bound to data and fact
