Before Copernicus: The Cultures and Contexts of Scientific Learning in the Fifteenth Century (Volume 71) (McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Ideas)

A multi-disciplinary approach to Copernicus’s momentous transformation from geocentric to heliocentric cosmology. A multi-disciplinary approach to Copernicus’s momentous transformation from geocentric to heliocentric cosmology. In 1984, Noel Swerdlow and Otto Neugebauer argued that Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) explained planetary motion by using mathematical devices and astronomical models originally developed by Islamic astronomers in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Was this a parallel development, or did Copernicus somehow learn of the work of his predecessors, and if so, how? And if Copernicus did use material from the Islamic world, how then should we understand the European context of his innovative cosmology? Although Copernicus’s work has been subject to a number of excellent studies, there has been little attention paid to the sources and diverse cultures that might have inspired him. Foregrounding the importance of interactions between Islamic and European astronomers and philosophers, Before Copernicus explores the multi-cultural, multi-religious, and multi-lingual context of learning on the eve of the Copernican revolution, determining the relationship between Copernicus and his predecessors. Essays by Christopher Celenza and Nancy Bisaha delve into the European cultural and intellectual contexts of the fifteenth century, revealing both the profound differences between “them" and “us," and the nascent attitudes that would mark the turn to modernity. Michael Shank, F. Jamil Ragep, Sally Ragep, and Robert Morrison depict the vibrant and creative work of astronomers in the Christian, Islamic, and Jewish worlds. In other essays, Rivka Feldhay, Raz Chen-Morris, and Edith Sylla demonstrate the importance of shifting outlooks that were critical for the emergence of a new worldview. Highlighting the often-neglected intercultural exchange between Islam and early modern Europe, Before Copernicus reimagines the scientific revolution in a global context.In 1984, Noel Swerdlow and Otto Neugebauer argued that Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) explained planetary motion by using mathematical devices and astronomical models originally developed by Islamic astronomers in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Was this a parallel development, or did Copernicus somehow learn of the work of his predecessors, and if so, how? And if Copernicus did use material from the Islamic world, how then should we understand the European context of his innovative cosmology? Although Copernicus’s work has been subject to a number of excellent studies, there has been little attention paid to the sources and diverse cultures that might have inspired him. Foregrounding the importance of interactions between Islamic and European astronomers and philosophers, Before Copernicus explores the multi-cultural, multi-religious, and multi-lingual context of learning on the eve of the Copernican revolution, determining the relationship between Copernicus and his predecessors. Essays by Christopher Celenza and Nancy Bisaha delve into the European cultural and intellectual contexts of the fifteenth century, revealing both the profound differences between “them" and “us," and the nascent attitudes that would mark the turn to modernity. Michael Shank, F. Jamil Ragep, Sally Ragep, and Robert Morrison depict the vibrant and creative work of astronomers in the Christian, Islamic, and Jewish worlds. In other essays, Rivka Feldhay, Raz Chen-Morris, and Edith Sylla demonstrate the importance of shifting outlooks that were critical for the emergence of a new worldview. Highlighting the often-neglected intercultural exchange between Islam and early modern Europe, Before Copernicus reimagines the scientific revolution in a global context This Collection Of Essays Explores The Multi-cultural, Multi-religious, And Multi-lingual Context Of Learning On The Eve Of The Copernican Revolution. Although Copernicus's Work And Its Influence Have Been Subject To A Number Of Excellent Studies, There Has Been Surprisingly Little Attention Paid To Copernicus's Sources And The Diverse Cultures And Contexts Of Learning In Which He Lived And By Which He Could Have Been Inspired. Previous Authors Who Have Attended To This Background Have Tended To Put Forth Singular And Rather Narrow Explanations Of Copernicus's Turn To Heliocentrism. In Contrast, This Volume Does Not Seek To Provide 'the' Explanation, Or Even 'an' Explanation, But Rather Provides The Reader With Aspects Of The Complex And Surprisingly Rich Intellectual And Scientific World Before Copernicus.-- Introduction / F. Jamil Ragep And Rivka Feldhay -- 1. What Did It Mean To Live In The Long Fifteenth Century? / Christopher S. Celenza -- 2. European Cross-cultural Contexts Before Copernicus / Nancy Bisaha -- 3. The Status Of Astronomy As A Science In Fifteenth-century Cracow : Ibn Al-haytham, Peurbach, And Copernicus / Edith Dudley Sylla -- 4. Regiomontanus And Astronomical Controversy In The Background Of Copernicus / Michael H. Shank -- 5. Framing The Appearances In The Fifteenth Century : Alberti, Cusa, Regiomontanus, And Copernicus / Raz Chen-morris And Rivka Feldhay -- 6. Fifteenth-century Astronomy In The Islamic World / Sally P. Ragep -- 7. From Tūn To Toruń: The Twists And Turns Of The Ṭūsī-couple / F. Jamil Ragep -- 8. Jews As Scientific Intermediaries In The European Renaissance / Robert Morrison. Edited By Rivka Feldhay And F. Jamil Ragep. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 283-320) And Index. Issued Also In Electronic Format. Cover Copyright Contents Note on Conventions Tables and Figures Acknowledgments Introduction PART ONE: THE FIFTEENTH-CENTURY EUROPEAN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONTEXTS 1: What Did It Mean to Live in the Long Fifteenth Century? 2: European Cross-Cultural Contexts before Copernicus PART TWO: THE FIFTEENTH-CENTURY EUROPEAN INTELLECTUAL AND SCIENTIFIC CONTEXTS 3: The Status of Astronomy as a Science in Fifteenth-Century Cracow: Ibn al-Haytham, Peurbach, and Copernicus 4: Regiomontanus and Astronomical Controversy in the Background of Copernicus 5: Framing the Appearances in the Fifteenth Century: Alberti, Cusa, Regiomontanus, and Copernicus PART THREE: THE MULTICULTURAL ASTRONOMICAL BACKGROUND TO THE COPERNICAN REVOLUTION 6: Fifteenth-Century Astronomy in the Islamic World 7: From Tūn to Toruń: The Twists and Turns of the Tūsī-Couple 8: Jews as Scientific Intermediaries in the European Renaissance Notes Bibliography Contributors Index