The Rise of Science

Plato’s unseen forms influence the view that religion has the perfect understanding of the worldScience challenged this accepted viewFoundations of tension between the religious world-view and scientific world-view

Copernicus 1473–1543

Polish Catholic PriestDe Revolutionibus OrbiumMathematical calculationsHeliocentric view of the universeWhat about the centrality of the earth?Humanity has no cosmic significance!?Stars are further away from the earth than the sunPtolemy’s cosmology must be wrong!

Tycho Brahe 1546–1601

Provided alternative model of the universe to CopernicusProduced accurate measurements of the planets and starsDemonstrated that comets move across the orbit of the planets, not in a straight line in the sphere below the moon

Johannes Kepler 1571–1630Student of BraheDiscovered three laws of planetary motionThere was a time difference in his observation of the planets and what he calculated it should beConcluded that the orbit of the planets was not circular but ellipticalBreak with Aristotelian view that the planets move in circlesMatches astronomers observations of the universe

Galileo 1564–1642

First systematic observation of the world via a telescopeThe forces of nature work in mathematical waysHeliocentric view of the universeMessage from the Stars published 1610First real brush with religious view of the universe

Galileo continued

Asserted Copernicus’ view of the universe as the right onePut on trial and forced to recantWhy?Seemed to suggest that because the working of the universe was natural then there was no need for a Prime Mover/First CauseThe Inquisition condemned the Copernican view of the universe

Galileo continued

He was not anti-religionGod had provided two different but complementary ways of looking at the worldScripture and science

Francis Bacon 1561–1626

Rejected Aristotle’s idea of Final CausesInduction was the keyComing to a conclusion based on systematic analysis of events that have been observedShould move from habitual ways of thinkingNo allegiance to one school of thought

Isaac Newton 1642–1727

Devised system of physical laws explaining planetary motionThe world moves and changes according to fixed lawsWorld appears as a mechanismProvided an alternative explanation for movement to accepted modelsGod is no longer necessary to explain the continuing existence of the world – mathematics can do this