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Greek Ontologies

Greek Ontologies. Democritus, atoms discrete (things in void) Aristotle, continuum, (stuff, no void) Zeno’s paradox continuum vs discrete (presages wave vs particle)

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Greek Ontologies

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  1. Greek Ontologies • Democritus, atoms discrete (things in void) • Aristotle, continuum, (stuff, no void) • Zeno’s paradox continuum vs discrete (presages wave vs particle) • Aristotle’s World made of earth, air, fire and water [fifth element=ether] Moved downwards and straight, Not perfect. Earth not moving but at center • Celestial objects were made of an exalted substance formed in spheres which move in circles above • Time flows regularly, space is not a void • Astrology mixed with Astronomy

  2. PTOLEMY fl 140 • Mathematician, astronomer, • Nested spheres with earth at center, a sphere but not rotating • Added epicycles • Written in Greek, Preserved in Arabic , translated to Latin 12th century • View persisted till Copernicus

  3. Copernicus fl1520 • Canon of the Church, astronomer, physician, math, law, languages, classics • New theory to explain celestial findings published just prior to his death (heliocentric with rotating earth) • Not persecuted as his predictions worked, theory based on assumptions

  4. Measuring Stellar Angles

  5. Tyco Brahe fl1580 • Huge data set based on improved methodology including revived use of trigonometry and daily observations • More accurate data • Kepler was his assistant

  6. Kepler fl1600 • Observed supernova of 1604 • Studied orbit of Mars • Able to use Napier’s logarithms • Able to use Brahe’s data • Developed laws of planetary motion

  7. Galileo fl1630 • Refracting telescope developed in Netherlands in 1608 • Galileo improved technology • Observations converted theory to fact • Galilean relativity (velocity relative to reference points, moving ship - dropped ball) • Laws of Nature same in all inertial frames

  8. Newton fl1665 • Physicist, mathematician, alchemist, Master of the Mint • Developed reflecting telescope, light is particulate (corpuscle) • Development of calculus (concurrently but independently of Leibniz) • Laws of Motion & Gravitation [no delay] based on idealized center of mass [gravity]

  9. Newton’s Ontology • Absolute space • Absolute time • Galilean relativity • Light consists of particles (corpuscles) • Action at a distance [instantaneously]

  10. Determinism • Laws of motion are clocklike and in principle reversible. • Laws of motion explained Kepler’s laws of planetary motion • Future is predictable on basis of the iteration of laws on the current state(s)

  11. THEMES • CREATION OF MODELS, MENTAL VS REAL; EMPIRICAL VS FORMAL IDEALS • MODELS PREDICT AND EXPLAIN • IMPROVED OBSERVATIONS THROUGH IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY MODIFY MODELS • IMPROVE ANALYSES THROUGH MATHEMATICAL ADVANCES • IDEALS VS MATERIAL; CAUSALITY; TIME; SPACE; MOTION;

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