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.