Chapter 11: Copernicus Incites a Revolution

Jul 18, 2024

Chapter 11: Copernicus Incites a Revolution

Introduction

  • Lecture will be divided into smaller parts for easier viewing on YouTube.
  • Overall theme: Impact of Copernicus and the broader context of the Scientific Revolution.

Context: From Backwater to Dominant West

  • Reference to J.M. Roberts' book: The Triumph of the West.
  • Europe transformed from a backwater to a leader in global dominance and the Scientific Revolution.
  • Delays in the Scientific Revolution:
    • Little Ice Age
    • Bubonic Plague (Black Death)
    • Hundred Years' War

Changing Worldviews

  • Medieval Europe's worldview: Theological and religious interpretations of natural events.
  • Transition in the 18th century: Secular and scientific thinking.
    • Example: Stomachache explanations shifted from religious to natural causes.

Medieval Medicine and Humors

  • Four elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Water.
  • Four humors: Yellow bile, Black bile, Blood, Phlegm.
  • Manifest qualities related to health and disease.
  • Influence continued into early Scientific Revolution.

Albrecht Dürer and Cultural Continuity

  • Albrecht Dürer: Famous for woodblock printing.
  • Depiction of humors: Phlegmatic ox, Sanguine rabbit, Choleric cat, Melancholic elk.
  • Continuation of medieval ideas into the new era.

Copernicus and the Heliocentric Theory

  • Contrasts with Aristotelian and Christian views (geocentric theory).
  • Copernicus: Polish astronomer and canon lawyer.
  • Proposed heliocentric theory: Sun as the center of the universe.

The Communication Revolution

  • Essential for spreading Scientific Revolution ideas.
  • Gutenberg's printing press (1430s): Vital for mass communication.
    • First printed items: Indulgences.
  • Gutenberg Bible: First major book printed, marking a shift from Middle Ages to modern world.
  • Printing on paper (parchment): Revolutionized book production and accessibility.

Impact of Printing Press

  • Allowed for mass production and dissemination of books.
  • Printed materials became cheaper and more widespread.
  • Increased availability of books led to a reading revolution.
  • Key outcomes:
    • Priesthood of all believers
    • Uniformity in spelling
    • Accessibility of knowledge
    • Accumulation of nearly a billion books by the 18th century.

Conclusion

  • Printing led to widespread communication and the furthering of scientific, cultural, and intellectual revolutions.
  • Lecture ends to start a new one.