History of Modern Science His3464 14th 17th of January 2011 Prescience Antiquity to Late Middle Ages Chpts 1 2 I Nature in Ancient Civilizations A Egyptians Babylonians and Greeks 1 All explained natural phenomena with myth e g sunrise direct action of gods 2 Egyptians star cycles every 365 days a Divided year into 3 parts inundation emergence and summer b 30 days month 3 Babylonians number system a Base 60 wedge shaped markers 4 Greek Philosophy a Pythagoras nature could be described by numbers e g divine B The Cosmos of Plato and Aristotle 1 Plato s cosmogony origin a Timaeus cosmos created divine artificer 2 Aristotle a Matter must have form vice versa b Unmoved god things have always existed c Circular orbits each planet has a sphere d Animism matter seeks its natural place e g heavy objects Earth e Motion All motion requires a mover C Greek Heritage in Natural Philosophy After Aristotle 1 Mathematics and Astronomy a heavens divine astronomy consider pure mathematics b Ptolemy Alexandrian astronomer 2nd century AD 1 introduced eccentric point 2 epicycles explain change in acceleration 2 Ancient medicine a Hippocrates 460 370BC 1 code dr will do no harm 2 good health balance of 4 humors a Blood b Phlegm c Bile d black yellow bile 3 Sickness excess deficiency of humors a remedy proper diet purging b Limitations on Ancient Medicine 1 human dissection prohibited c Galen 129 200 AD 1 atomic picture of human body 2 3 major components a Brain regulate nervous system sensation movement spirits b Heart heats circulate blood c Liver nutrients heart body II Learning in the Middle Ages A Immigration of Knowledge 1 Fall of Rome Invasions 410 1000 AD a Nestorians eastern Christians exiled Persia Greek knowledge to ME 5th century b Languages latin western Roman E indigenous east R E 2 Optical theories a Emission theory light eyes object b 1 Proposed by Empedocles 490 430 BC Plato Intromission theory light eyes 1 Ibn al Haytham light into Middle Eastern B Rise of Monastaries and Universities 1 Charlemagne 742 814 Frankish Kingdom a Germany France N Italy b Est first universities in Bologna Paris and Oxford 1 Monastic institutions educated church officials 2 Theology medicine law latin 2 Plato and Aristotle in religion a use of logic syllogism inferences b St Tomas Aquinas Dr of church 1 influenced by Greek philosophers 2 Summa Theologica 1266 systematic proofs of God 3 Thomistic synthesis marriage b t Christianity Aristotelian thought c Problems of Aristotle in Christianity 1 impersonal vs personal God 2 Natural laws vs miracles 3 matter always existed vs out of nothing d Reconciliation of Aristotelian thought 1 could be used for insight of God 2 explain what is right wrong 3 Christian calendar astronomy 3 Late Medieval Natural Philosophy a Motion and Change 1 velocity intensity of motion a types uniform nonuniform uniformly nonuniform motion 2 Oresme geometric representation vertical lines magnitude 3 Cause of Motion Theory a Artistotle unmoved mover animism b Jean Buridan 1300 60 motion from impressed power 4 Disproof of motion of Earth a syllogism if Earth moves when arrow shot it should be left behind b Alchemy c Conclusion 1 Lead to gold 2 Medicines to infinite life 3 Problem undeveloped notion of substances 1 Discovery of classics Aristotle Plato led to growth 2 Rational Christianity Thomistic synthesis