Brief notes on Copernicus

(Originally written February 1, 2006 in Book 4)

A History of Western Philosophy Vol. 3
W.T. Jones

The Mathematical Spirit

- The Mathematical Spirit aims at converting qualities to quantities
- Empirical evidence is used to form a hypothesis, then 'pure mathematics' is done to come at correct deduction. Then empirical methods are employed to check the relation of the hypothesis to the mathematical calculations

Copernicus

-Astronomy was the science to which mathematics was first applied.
-Some ancient Greeks hypothesized that the sun was at the center of the universe and other correct astronomical facts, but these were not accepted due to their radical social and religious implications.
-Ptolemy (2nd century A.D.) suggested that the planets moved in epicycles around the earth and the stars stayed in fixed spots.
-Not much theorizing on astronomy was done between the 2nd century and 15th century due to a lack of mathematical skill and a lack of interest in the subject.
-With a new sense of astronomical speculation revived in the 15th century the tables were set for Copernicus to make an impact on the world.