Aristotle vs. Copernicus - 1501 Words

Aristotle vs. Copernicus Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and scientist, who shared with Plato the distinction of being the most famous of ancient philosophers. Aristotle was born at Stagira, in Macedonia, the son of a physician to the royal court. At the age of 17, he went to Athens to study at Platos Academy. He remained there for about 20 years, as a student and then as a teacher. When Plato died in 347 bc , Aristotle moved to Assos, a city in Asia Minor, where a friend of his, Hermias (d. 345 bc ), was ruler. There he counseled Hermias and married his niece and adopted daughter, Pythias. After Hermias was captured and executed by the Persians, Aristotle went to Pella, the Macedonian capital, where he became the tutor of the kings†¦show more content†¦The Prime Mover, or God, described by Aristotle is not very suitable for religious purposes, as many later philosophers and theologians have observed. Aristotle limited his theology, however, to what he believed science requires and can establish. Many, many years after Aristotle died, a Polish astronomer named Nicolaus Copernicus, formulated his own theories about best known for his astronomical theory that the sun is at rest near the center of the universe, and that the earth, spinning on its axis once daily, revolves annually around the sun. This is called the heliocentric, or sun-centered, system. In 1500 Copernicus lectured on astronomy in Rome. The following year he gained permission to study medicine at Padua, the university where Galileo taught nearly a century later. It was not unusual at the time to study a subject at one university and then to receive a degree from another-often less expensive-institution. And so Copernicus, without completing his medical studies, received a doctorate in canon law from Ferrara in 1503 and then returned to Poland to take up his administrative duties. After moving to Frauenburg in 1512, Copernicus took part in the Fifth Lateran Councils commission on calendar reform (1515); wrote a treatise on money (1517); and began his major work, De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), which was finished by 1530 but firstShow MoreRelatedThe Scientific Revolution Essay1165 Words   |  5 Pagesby both Aristotle and Copernicus, one must consider the circumstances under which these men lived to understand the differences. The most obvious of these is the time in history. Aristotle came almost 2000 years earlier in the astronomy field. While Copernicus had set out to glorify the great religion of his time, Aristotles views came 200 years before Christ was even born! Although the book gives the impression nothing of significance in astronomy happened in the time between Aristotle and CopernicusRead MoreThe Heliocentric Theory vs. The Catholic Church Essay2163 Words   |  9 PagesThe Heliocentric Theory vs. The Catholic Church We view the world today as the Earth and planets revolving around the Sun. Naturally, this always wasnt the case. Aristotle created a model in which since God created the Earth and man, therefore everything should revolve around us, creating a geocentric model of the known universe. This model was widely accepted by the people, as well as the Church, since the theory was God-centered. It wasnt untilRead MoreEvolution Of Science And Religion1179 Words   |  5 Pagestruth behind religion, trying to disprove or prove a supernatural force. The ancient Greeks were pioneering philosophers which started the great rift we see in the early development of scientific and quantified analysis. This was first started by Aristotle whuch believed that science was a process of trying to understand the natural laws behind creation and that the creation was mathematically perfect and that logic and reasoning could be able to rationalise the natural phenomena. The expansions ofRead MoreEvolution, Structure, And Ultimate Fate Of Neil Degrasse Tyson2479 Words   |  10 Pagescosmos was acknowledged. Aristotle coined a dichotomized universe in which it was divided into a terrestrial and sub lunar region. These regions encompassed the earth and extended to the moon. All matter in the terrestrial region was comprised of the four elements—water, earth, wind, and fire. Aristotle also expected all celestial bodies to be moving in circles and do not exhibit violent motion (Aristotelian Physics, Impetus Theory, and the Mean Speed Theorem, 2001). Aristotle was the first to distinguishRead MoreEssay about History of Nature and Nurture1866 Words   |  8 PagesAbstract Nature vs. nurture has been discussed by philosophers in the past and by scientists most recently. Philosophers such as Plato argued that all knowledge was inherited through your parent and when you were told something you didnt learn it you were just reminded of it. Aristotle however argued that all humans were born with a blank slate and built on it with influence from there environment. In the 1700s the empiricists and the internalists took over the argument. They fought through lettersRead More Nature vs. Nurture Essay1836 Words   |  8 PagesAbstract Nature vs. nurture has been discussed by philosophers in the past and by scientists more recently. Philosophers such as Plato argued that all knowledge was inherited from your parents and when you were told something you didn’t learn it you were just reminded of it. Aristotle however argued that all humans were born with a blank slate and built on it with influence from there environment. In the 1700’s the empiricists and the internalists took over the argument. They fought through lettersRead MoreThe Theory of Everything Book Report2605 Words   |  11 Pagestheory as that of the Vikings would be seen as absurd in today’s time, and it was for this absurdity that drove people such as Aristotle to uncover the truth. Aristotle (384 BCE – 322 BCE) was one of the first major scientists of the human race. Until Aristotle, people had thought that the earth was flat, and that if you ventured too far, you would fall off of it. Aristotle discovered that by looking at the Earth’s shadow on the moon and seeing it to be round, the Earth must be a sphere, rather thanRead MoreEssay on The Positive Relationship Between Science and Religion6961 Words   |  28 PagesPositive Relationship Between Science and Religion Introduction: Throughout history we can find many instances where religion was strongly opposed to scientific research. For example, the Catholic Church’s objection to Galileo’s defense of Copernicus’ heliocentric model where he offered his observations that he felt furthered the theory that the planets revolved around the Sun. At that time, the belief that the Holy Scriptures were perhaps inaccurate was one thing, but attempting to confirm