1. The ‘Scientific Revolution’: What’s in a concept?
Early Modern Period General
Lecture 12
Simon Ditchfield

2. A revolution of the spheres 1?
From a geocentric universe
To heliocentric

3. A revolution of the spheres? 2
To heliocentric universe

4. Authority vs observation
13th cent. ms of Aristotle
Newton’s reflecting telescope 1671

5. G. Della Porta’s Natural Magick, (1658, orig edn. 1584)
The Shape of knowledge
Alchemist at work
G. Della Porta’s Natural Magick, (1658, orig edn. 1584)

6. Medieval/Old learning
Questions and answers
Medieval/Old learning
Why? explanations
Stressed the ability to speak about truth
Qualitative issues – a thing explained by its essence
Intellectual conviction the ultimate aim
‘New’ learning
How? Explanations
Stress on what was in the world and what could be done with it (operationalism)
Quantitative issues – things should be measured and quantified
The ultimate aim was practical know-how

7. Aristotelian universe
Four elements

8. Copernican universe Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543)
De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, (1543)

9. Tychonic universe
Tycho Brahe at work
Tycho Brahe ( )

10. Kepler’s five platonic solids
Keplerian harmonies
Johannes Kepler ( )
Kepler’s five platonic solids

11. Dialogue concerning the two chief world systems, (1632)
Galilean dialogues
Galileo Galilei ( )
Dialogue concerning the two chief world systems, (1632)

12. Principia mathematica (1687)
The Newtonian moment
Isaac Newton, ( )
Principia mathematica (1687)

13. Secular saints
Galileo’s finger
Newton’s tomb in
Westminster Abbey

14. Changing conditions of enquiry
The Royal Society, (1662)
Musaeum Kircheriana, Rome (c.1650)

15. Newton’s alchemical oven
Magic & Mysticism
Newton’s alchemical oven
Newton’s biblical chronology