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Class 19 : Church and Science

Class 19 : Church and Science. Dr. Ann T. Orlando 17 March 2014. Church and Physics in the Thirteenth through the Seventeenth Century. Just as scholastic theology relied on Aristotle, so did medieval physics Earth-centered cosmology All substances composed of matter and form

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Class 19 : Church and Science

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  1. Class 19: Church and Science Dr. Ann T. Orlando 17 March 2014

  2. Church and Physics in the Thirteenth through the Seventeenth Century • Just as scholastic theology relied on Aristotle, so did medieval physics • Earth-centered cosmology • All substances composed of matter and form • No change to celestial spheres beyond the moon • Velocity is inversely proportional to density of medium through which an object moves; therefore a vacuum is impossible • Solar, lunar, stellar and planetary motion relative to earth computed using epicycles • Ptolemy (2nd C AD), Alexandria • Very, very accurate • Math very complex see http://astro.unl.edu/naap/ssm/animations/ptolemaic.swf (University of Nebraska)

  3. The Revival of Hellenistic Philosophy • Humanist legacy from Renaissance • New philosophical and political theories ‘reached back’ to the ‘golden era’ of Rome and Hellenistic philosophy: Stoicism, Epicureanism • Scientific theories developed around both cause and effect, as well as atomic motion

  4. 17th C Philosophy: Empiricists • Empiricists: Knowledge is from senses • Francis Bacon (1561-1626) • Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) • John Locke (1632-1704)

  5. 17th C Empiricist Philosopher:Francis Bacon (1561 – 1626) • The modern idea of technological “progress” (in the sense of a steady, cumulative, historical advance in applied scientific knowledge) began with Bacon’s The Advancement of Learning • Vehemently opposed to Aristotle • Completely rejects Ptolemy and Aristotle’s Organum, writes NovumOrganum(1620), reject logic of syllogisms as a way to know • The modern idea of technological “progress” (in the sense of a steady, cumulative, historical advance in applied scientific knowledge) began with Bacon’s The Advancement of Learning • Champions inductive logic based upon extensive observation; proceed from particular to general • Champions inductive logic based upon extensive observation; proceed from particular to general

  6. 17th C Physics • Before Enlightenment ‘science’ meant any well defined area of knowledge • During the Enlightenment it comes to mean investigation of nature by our senses through inductive reasoning and then applying mathematical models to describe observations • Key Enlightenment Scientists • Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) • Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) • Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) • William Harvey (1578-1657) • Robert Boyle (1627-1691) • Christian Huygens (1629-1695) • Antoine von Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) • Isaac Newton (1642-1727) • Royal Society of London established 1660 • And don’t forget voyages of discovery

  7. New Observations in Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries • Copernicus (1473 – 1543) speculates that the earth circles the sun • Makes math easier • Galileo’s Telescope allows observations of heavens that calls older physics into question • Reveals changes in sun, moons of Jupiter • Earth revolves around the sun • New understanding of velocity (Galileo) • Dropped balls fall at same rate, regardless of weight • Velocity of a body not defined by resistance of medium • Experiments with gasses leads to speculation about atomic theory of matter, not matter and form

  8. Impact of Telescope Becomes obvious that entities above the sun do change Far more variety in celestial sphere than previously imagined Mathematical simplicity of heliocentric system very appealing Circular orbits Note Galileo’s contributions to physics far beyond astronomy Dynamics (pendula) Motion (weight not relevant to speed at which a body falls, Tower of Pisa experiment) But most of all using mathematics to describe laws of physics Galileo part of broad-based reaction against Aristotelianism Galileo (1564-1642)

  9. St. Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) • Concerned about interpretation of Scripture, especially Joshua 10 • Heliocentric system okay to make math easier, • Draws distinction between easier math and reality • But also concerned that circular-orbit heliocentric system not as accurate as epicycles and geocentric system • ….And he was right

  10. Galileo vs Church • Conflict begins during Pope Paul V pontificate • Background of Reformation and Council of Trent • 1616 “Copernicanism” condemned, • De Revolutionibus placed on index • Galileo told not to teach it • 1623 Maffeo Barberini becomes Pope Urban VIII • Admirer of Galileo • 1632 Galileo publishes Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Ptolemaic and Copernican • Published with approval of censors in Rome and Florence • Made fun of Pope, who saw himself as Simplicio, defender of Ptolemy • 1633 Galileo brought before Inquisition • House arrest • Galileo tries to defend himself using….Augustine • Allowed to return to Florence after recanting

  11. Resolution of the Physics: Elliptical Orbits • By carefully analyzing data, Kepler concludes that orbits are elliptical • Mathematics of three laws of planetary motion • Kepler supported by Jesuit astronomers • Condemned by Lutherans, Calvinists • Description at http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/history/kepler.html

  12. Enlightenment Mythology of Galileo • “Despite all its enlightenment about other matters, the eighteenth century was almost a golden age for the invention and diffusion of myths about Galileo’s trial.” – Finocchiaro, Retrying Galileo, 111 • Galileo held in prison • Galileo had his eyes gauged out • Galileo had to live on bread and water

  13. Situation Today: Benedict XVI and Sapienza • 20th and 21st Centuries no strangers to embellishing Galileo affair • Bertold Brecht, Galileo, expands on clash of faith and reason • Most recently the controversy around Pope Benedict XVI planned visit to Sapienza University in January 2008 • Physics faculty protest Pope’s visit because of reputed comments he made in 1992 about Galileo; ‘authoritative’ reference was a wikipedia article • Pope cancels visit • Rector of Sapienza eventually acknowledges criticism misdirected, and invites Pope to return

  14. The Giant of the Scientific Age: Isaac Newton • The most famous man in Europe in his own day and thereafter until Einstein • Founder of calculus (along with Leibniz) • Fundamental discoveries in optics, mechanics, gravitation • Very deeply religious; focuses on Biblical exegesis, integrated with his physics • Alexander Pope: “Nature and nature's laws lay hid by night; God said let Newton be and all was light”

  15. Religion and Science: Isaac Newton and Robert Boyle • Newton • At the end of his Opticks, he tries to distance himself from Epicurean ethics. He was concerned that a corpuscular theory of light could be interpreted as support for Epicurean philosophy • Newton’s favorite verse was Acts 17:28; he knew it was Stoic poetry; he tried to use this to explain how gravity could work across ‘empty’ space • But Newton also became an Arian at the end of his life • Boyle • Called fundamental units in gases corpuscles rather than atoms because he did not want his theory used to support Epicurean philosophy • Left an endowment for Christian lectures to be given in London opposing Epicureanism

  16. Key Difference Between 17thC and 18th C Enlightenment Figures • 17th C Enlightenment Figures • Scientists and Philosophers • Christians • 18th C Enlightenment Figures • Political philosophers and activists • Deists or atheists • Why rise of Deism, why not just atheism? • Religion needed to enforce morality among ignorant masses • To rescue science; there is order in the world and we can know what it is; that is Intelligent Design

  17. Despair of knowing • Pierre Bayle (1647-1706) • Huguenot • His Historical and Critical Dictionary was single most popular work in 18th C • David Hume (1711-1776) Dialog Concerning Natural Religion • Published after his death • Attacks both religion and science (i.e., attacks deism) • Severe attack against Intelligent Design • Skepticism is the only acceptable intellectual stance • Voltaire, Lisbon Earthquake Poem • Voltaire starts as a deist, becomes an atheist and a skeptic • Deeply connected with skepticism was problem of evil and theodicy (a term invented by Leibniz in opposition to Bayle)

  18. Assignments • 1. Galileo Galilei, Letter to Grand Duchess Christina, available at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/galileo-tuscany.html • 2. Robert BellarmineLetter on Galileo available at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1615bellarmine-letter.html • 3. Isaac Newton. Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Available at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/newton-princ.html

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