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Renaissance (15 th - 17 th centuries)

Renaissance (15 th - 17 th centuries). I. Characteristics of the Renaissance. A. Attitudes towards the past. 1. Greeks: the epitome of human achievement. 2. Romans: pretty good because they emulated the Greeks. 3. Middle Ages: the pits, backwards, nothing accomplished. B. Humanism.

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Renaissance (15 th - 17 th centuries)

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  1. Renaissance (15th - 17th centuries) I. Characteristics of the Renaissance A. Attitudes towards the past 1. Greeks: the epitome of human achievement 2. Romans: pretty good because they emulated the Greeks 3. Middle Ages: the pits, backwards, nothing accomplished B. Humanism 1. Originally: one who studies original texts (humanities) 2. The definition evolves a. God created the Universe, but humans developed it b. self reliance is basic human characteristic c. humans are of value apart from faith d. truth is discoverable e. opposition to the old ways C. Epicureanism! • sans atheism

  2. II. William of Ockham (1280 – 1348) A. Starting Assumption: God could have made the World in any way he so chose • Radical Empiricism • Leads to skepticism and tentative nature of knowledge B. Ockham’s Razor (Principle of Parsimony) • Given two or more explanations that are otherwise equal, chose the one that requires the least assumptions

  3. III. Renaissance Naturalism A. Natural Magic 1. Hermes Trismegistus • who was he? • ancient Egyptian priest; contemporary of Moses; part god? • Hermetic writings • ancient Egyptian texts (not!) • astrology, alchemy, theurgy • God is the One • compatible with many religions 2. All of Nature is permeated with psychic forces 3. Three ways to know and manipulate occult Nature • summon demons or angels • doctrine of signatures • observation and experiment 4. Magnetism 5. Ultimately, most of Nature is a mystery that can never be understood

  4. B . William Gilbert (1544 – 1603) and magnetism 1. The magic of magnets 2. Lots of claims • diamonds can magnetize iron • garlic destroys the effect of magnet (problem with compasses) • Gilbert experimented; disproved claims 3. Earth is magnetic (iron core) • Earth’s soul (psychic pneuma) • perceives Sun’s magnetism; rotates • compass is the finger of God • "Animal magnetism may exist without being • useful, but it cannot be useful if it does not exist” • Antoine Lavoisier, Benjamin Franklin, Joseph Guillotin (1784) Fast forward: Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) Animal magnetism • magnetic magic today?

  5. III. Renaissance Naturalism C. Jean-Baptise van Helmont (1579 – 1644) 1. Water is the vital Stuff (physis pneuma) 2. Experiment • planted small tree in carefully weighed volume of soil • watered daily • 5 years later, weighed plant and soil • Conclusion: growth of tree due to water (physis pneuma)

  6. IV. Copernicus (1473 – 1543) A. Life B. Like a Greek 1. Problem with Ptolemy 2. Each planet with own equant system 3. Model worked fairly well • “saved the appearances” C. The Copernican heliocentric model 1. Inspiration from Aristarchus (310 – 230) 2. Problem with the model • still need epicycles (based on perfect circles) • bigger problem: stellar parallax • Earth’s movement • not any better than Ptolemy’s

  7. IV. Copernicus (1473 – 1543) 3. Advantages to the model • planets in logical sequence: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn • Mercury and Venus closeness to Sun makes better sense • simpler system • no equants • retrograde motion less complex D. De Revolutionibus published 1543 (C dies) 1. Copernicus: the real deal 2. Osiander’s preface: only a convenience • Convert to Lutheranism • Martin Luther vehemently opposed: Joshua 10: 12-13

  8. IV. Copernicus (1473 – 1543) 3. Reception to De Revolutionibus • lead balloon: first edition 400 copies, don’t all sell • Catholics: no big deal; Protestants: very big deal • popular in England • major influence on Kepler and Galileo (50 years later) E. The case of Giordano Bruno (1548 -1600) 1. Martyr to heliocentricism? 2. Hermeticism popular in 14th and 15th Centuries • based on documents from ancient Egypt (not!) • Thoth, Egyptian god of magic = Hermes, the Greek god • Hermes Trismegistus • according to followers: • root of Christianity • predicted birth of Christ • Egyptians: sun is a god 3. Bruno: priest and follower • insists Catholicism on wrong track • brought before Inquisition (Arian/ magic)

  9. V. Vesalius (1514 – 1564) A. The Copernicus of anatomy 1. Greek revival in West: Renaissance response 2. Problems with Galen 3. Human dissection B. De HumaniCorporisFabrica

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