Hello, today I present another article on the topic We and the cosmos – Part VII, entitled „Astronomy in medieval Europe.”
An eminent scholar of the Middle Ages was a philosopher and naturalist Rodger Bacon (1210-1294). He worked in Paris and Oxford. Although based on Augustinism however, recognized the importance and significance of the natural sciences. He attributed the major importance of experience and mathematical proofs. Science conceived as a continuous and endless process of „truth – he wrote – we seek the end of the world, because nothing in human ideas is not perfect.”
Taken over from the Arabs Greek views on the construction of the world spread quite quickly, as evidenced by the Divine Comedy of Dante (1265-1321). There is a description of the nine spheres of crystal floating around the Earth and celestial bodies. After seven first circled the sun, moon and planets were attached eighth star. The entire ninth sphere included, suitable to other traffic. The area consisted of the Earth is good for us already known elements – earth, water, air and fire, while the blue part of the ether. Is easy to see here the influence of Aristotle. But this is not the end. In the above model, the planets were fixed on smaller crutches, pending the aforementioned areas. Every sphere of useful was to oversee the movement of an angel, which was higher sphere, the higher the grade of the blue he was an angel.
One of them, John Buridan (1300-1358) of the University of Paris, in his book „Questions about eight physical books,” criticized the physics of Aristotle. Among other things, rejected the explanation cited above body movement, making the place driven by air concept of „momentum”, transmitted to the body at the time of disposal. It is interesting that this principle also extended the celestial bodies, considering that there is no need to explain the movements of the heavenly bodies direct action of the angels, because God created the world gave them a suitable „momentum” and since then they move themselves, since there is no factor which could inhibit them.
This brief excerpts, I invite you to read the whole topic : We and the cosmos.
Regards, have a nice weekend – admin
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