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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.
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