Revolution and continuity: essays in the history and philosophy of early modern science 0-8132-0738-x

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Studies in Philosophy and the History of Philosophy

Volume 24

REVOLUTION AND CONTINUITY Essays in the History and Philosophy of Early Modern Science Edited by Peter Barker and Roger Ariew

REVOLUTION AND CONTINUITY Essays in the History and Philosophy of Modern Science Edited by Peter Barker and Roger Ariew Studies in Philosophy and the History of Philosophy Volume 24

This volume presents new work in history and historiography to the increasingly broad audience for studies of the history and philos¬ ophy of science. These essays are linked by a concern to understand the content of early modern science in its own context. The edi¬ tors’ introduction—itself a substantial essay— examines several myths about the Copernican revolution perpetuated by the neglect of con¬ text. They conclude that the question of mod¬ ern science's continuity with medieval science cannot be settled except by particular histori¬ cal investigations—a conclusion that under¬ mines the presumption of discontinuity in most contemporary history and philosophy of science. Neither continuity nor discontinuity may be legislated. The papers presented in this volume form four groups. The first two essays address his¬ toriographical questions concerning the role of institutions such as universities and scien¬ tific academies in the founding of modern sci¬ ence. Mordechai Feingold substantially qual¬ ifies the thesis that universities were the centers of resistance to the new science. David Lux examines the pervasive influence of Martha Ornstein’s work concerning seven¬ teenth-century scientific societies. The second group of essays extends the range of histori¬ cal studies into generally neglected areas of science. Harold Cook’s essay provides an entry into a range of issues connecting medi¬ cine and other sciences. Roger Ariew’s pa¬ per reminds us that astronomy and physics (continued on the back flap)

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Southwestern University Georgetown, Texas 78626 A FRANK SMITH, JR. LIBRARY CENTER SOUTHWESTERN UN VERSITY

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REVOLUTION AND CONTINUITY

STUDIES IN PHILOSOPHY AND THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY General Editor: Jude P. Dougherty

Studies in Philosophy and the History of Philosophy

Volume 24

Revolution and Continuity Essays in the History and Philosophy of Early Modern Science edited by Peter Barker and Roger Ariew

THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA PRESS Washington, D.C.

Copyright © tggi The Catholic University of America Press All rights reserved The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standards for In¬ formation Science—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ansi Z39.48-1984. 00

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Revolution and continuity : essays in the history and philosophy of early modern science /edited by Peter Barker and Roger Ariew. p. cm.—(Studies in philosophy and the history of philosophy : v. 24) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 0-8132-0738-x (permanent paper) 1. Science—History. 2. Science—History—17th century. 3. Science—Philosophy—History. 4. Continuity. 1. Barker, Peter, 1949— • u- Ariew, Roger, in. Series. B21.S78 vol. 24 [Q175-3] IOO S-dc20

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90-!9633

*£ 28, 9®119. 133’ !35. !36> 137» >40- 142> 161, 166, 167, 169; conversion to Copernicanism, 133-35; Dialogue, 96, 161, 166, 169; Dialogue, Day One, 119, 131, 133, 138, 139; Dialogue, Day Two, 139; Dialogue, Day Three, 139; Dialogue, Day Four, 139; telescopic ob¬ servations, 6, 138; theory of the tides, i38. 139> !4°. 142 Gandt, F. De, 19 Gascoigne, J., 45, 58 Gascoigne, W., g6 Gauja, P., 33 Gellibrand, H., 96 geology, 14, 82 geometry, 47, 158, 159, 160, 177, 183, 185, 186; Chinese, 181 George, A., 33

219

geostatics, 12, 14 Gerson, L. ben, 8, 115 Getz, F., 68 Ghanem, I., 3 Gilbert, W., 25 Gingerich, O., 7 Giusti, E., 178 Glanvill, J., 57 Godfrey, R., 78 Godolphin, W., 56 Goldstein, B. R., 3, 5, 8, 19, 115 Gould, S., 91 Grant, R., 120 Greek studies, 49 Gregory, D., 127 Groenevelt, J., 75, 76, 77 Grosholz, E., 19 Guericke, O. von, 25 Guldin, P., 83, 89, 163, 169; Exercitationes, 169 Hackett-Fischer, D„ 31, 34, 35, 37 Hahn, R„ 27, 31-34, 36, 42, 50 Hall, M., 27 Halley, E., 96 Hannaway, O., 42; Chemistry, 42 Harnack, A., 51 Hartner, W., 3 Harvey, W., 25, 72, 96 Haugeland, J., 153 Ibn al-Haytham, 115 Heath, T., 112, 114 Hebrew studies, 49 Heersakkers, C., 48 Heinsius, G., 125 Helden, A. Van, 6 Helmont, J. van, 25 Hero, 169 Hessen, B., 30, 38 Hevelius, J. 96 Higham, J., 43 Hill, C., 46 Hippias, 184 Hippocrates, 68, 73 Hirschfield, J., 33, 50 historiography, 10, 14, 18, 23, 24, 41, 42, 64-65, 79, 80, 81, 82, 91, 92, 129. See also continuity thesis, Ornstein thesis Hobbes, T., 36, 55, 128 homocentric spheres, 2, 3 Hooke, R., 70, 96 Horrocks, J., 105 Huet, P.-D., 50 Hufbauer, K., 42 Hume, D., 142

2 20

INDEX

Hunter, M„ 24, 30, 37-39, 42, 51, 54, 58, 72 Huygens, C., 98, 123 hydrostatics, 14 hygiene, 75, 76 impetus theory, 13 indivisibles, 157, 158, 159, 161, 162, 170, 171, 172 infinitesimals, 157, 158 intelligencer networks, 28 Ishaq ibn Hunayn, 68 Jacob, M., 27, 31, 34, 35, 36, 38 Jacob’s staff {radius astronomicus), 8, 9 Jardine, N., 129 Jervis, J., 9 Jesuits. See Society of Jesus Joannitius, 68 Jordanus de Nemore, 12 Joy, L., 40 Judeaus, I., 68 Jupiter, 98, 99, 105, 107; satellites 99, 121 Kennedy, E., 3 Kepler, J., 9, 10, 119, 121, 122, 125, 134, 135, 139, 140, 160\ Epitome, 121; S omnium, 121 King, J., 33 Kircher, A., 82, 83, 84, 85, 87 Knorr, W., 172 Knowles-Middleton, W., 27, 30, 72 Koyre, A., 15 Kuhn, T., 6, 15, 82, 137, 152, 153; The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 152 Lacombe, D., 158 Lagrange, J., 125 Lakatos, I., 6, 15 latitudinarians, 36 Latour, B., 10 law, 47, 67 law of free fall, 14 Lefranc, A., 48 Leibniz, G., 13, 50, 83-92, 157, 160, 176, 184; Algorithmus Differentials, 157; Protogaea, 84, 88 Leiden, 70 Leonardo da Vinci, 12, 13 Lerner, M., 114 Lewis, C., 41 Lipsius, J., 151 Lokert, G., 7, 14, 16 Lonie, I., 76 Louvain, 75

Lux, D., 18, 28, 40, 42, 50 Lyons, H., 72 Magalotti, L., 72 magnetic declination, 96 magnetism, 90, 121 Maier, A., 15 Maindrou, E., 33 Mairan, J. J. D’Ortous de, 120 Maragha, 3, 4, 5 Mariana, J. de, 151 Mars, 98, 99, 105 Martinez, P., 145 materia medica, 75 mathematics, 49, 71 Maury, L., 33 Mayer, 125 Mazzoni, J., 134 medical astrologers, 8, 10 medicine, 19, 39, 45, 47, 49, 50, 63, 66, 68, 75, 77, 79, 80; theory and prac¬ tice, 67-69, 76, 77, 79 medieval statics, 12 Menaechmus, 184 Menn, S., 15 Mercator, N., 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 106, 107,; 120, 123, 126, 128; Institutiones, 126 Mercury, 6, 98, 99; phases, 99 Merrett, C., 71, 72, 73 Mersenne, M., 17, 81 Merton, R„ 24, 27, 31, 34, 35, 38 method of tangents, 159 Montucla, J. F., 151, 152 moon, 4, 19, 90, 106; epicyclic motion, 115-20; inhabitants, 121; libration, 96—111, 120, 123; monthly sidereal rotation, 127; non-rotating, 112, 113, 122; parallax, 8; phases, 119, 120; ro¬ tation, 105, 111, 118, 119, 128 Moran, B., 41, 45 Moreri, L., 150, 151 Morgan, J., 58 Moulin, P., 57 moving deferent, 118 Muchembled, R., 42 Mueller, I., 158 music, 47 myth, 1, 143 natural history, 66, 69, 71, 72, 73, 74, 79, 80 Nedham, M., 78 Neri, A., 72 Neugebauer, O., 4 “new history”, 42, 43

Index Newton, I., 8, 45, 95, 96, 98, 99, 101, 103—6, 120, 123—25, 127, 128, 131, 157> 175> 182, 195; Moon’s Motion, 108; De mundi systemate, 105, 107, 124; libration theory, 120, 125; Principia Mathematica, 98, 105, 106, 107, 123, 124,126,176 Oldenburg, H., 56, 57, 98, 123, 126 Oldroyd, D., 70 Olivier-Martin, F., 49 optics, 195 order of reasons, 183 Oresme, N., 13, 14, 16, 91, 118, 120; Le livre du del et du monde, 118 Ornstein, M., 18, 24, 25, 33, 34, 35, 43; Role of Scientific Societies, 23, 24, 25, 40 Ornstein thesis, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 34, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42 Pappus, 164, 186, 187; Collection, 186 Pappus’s problem, 186—87, !88, 189; Descartes on, i87ff Paracelsianism, 64 paradigms, 82, 83, 91 Pascal, B., 25, 113, 158 pathology, 74, 76 Pechy, J., 74, 75, 77, 78 Pedersen, O., 4, 5 Pena, J., 9, 10; De Usu Optices, 9 Pennington, D., 45 Perrault, C., 49 Peter Lombard, 116; Sentences, 116 Petrarch, 180 pharmacology, 75 Philoponus, J., 13 philosophy, 49, 58 physic, 63, 66, 69-71, 74, 76-80; see also medicine, theory and practice physicians, 63, 64, 71—75 physiology, 74, 76 Pihl, M., 4 Pingree, D., 3 Pirenne thesis, 24 Pisa, 16 Pitt, J., 19 planetary distances: Copernicus, 5, 6; Ptolemy, 5 planetary motions: diurnal, 108; mo¬ tions in latitude, 3, 4; motions in lon¬ gitude, 3, 4; rotation, 98, 99, 105, 111, 116, 121; uniform rotation, 110 planets, 99; intelligent souls, 113 Plantefol, L., 33 Plato, 71, 113, 114, 184 Poulle, E., 143

221

prime numbers, 164 Primrose, J., 70 Proclus, 113, 168, 172 prosthaphairesis, 104 Ptolemaic system, 2, 4, 5, 7, 129, 143, 144, 148, 149, 152, 153 Ptolemy, 2, 104, 115, 116, 120; Almagest, 5, 120; Planetary Hypotheses, 5; see also: equant Puerbach, 8 Puritans, 35, 36, 45 Puritanism, 34, 58, 78 Purver, M., 27 Pythagoreans, 2 radius astronomicus, 8, 9 Ragep, F. J., 3 Rancke, L. Von, 1 Rattansi, P., 65 Raven, C., 72 Redondi, P., 132, 137, 141 Regiomontanus, 8, 10 Reinhold, E., 2; Logistice scrupulorum astronomicorum, 2 rhetoric, 47 Riccioli, G. B., 96, 98, 128 Richard of Middleton, 116, 118; Quaestiones, 116 Robertson, D., 49 Roberval, G. 12, 159, 160 Robinson, J., 43 Romano, C., 7 Rosen, E., 129 Rossi, P., 16, 17, 65, 82, 83, 91 Rostock, 133 Rothmann, C., 9 Rudwick, M., 83, 87 Sao Tome, 99 Sabra, A. I., 2 Saliba, G., 3 Salmon, W., 74, 75, 77, 78 Sarpi, P., 139, 140 Saturn, 98, 99; satellites, 107 Schaffer, S., 31, 34, 36 Scheiner, C., 136, 141; Rosa Ursina, 136,

137 Schooten, F. van, 160 scientific journals, 25; Journal des Sa¬ vants, 32 scientific revolution, 63, 131, 157 scientific societies, 25, 26, 59; “1645 group”, 72; Academia Caesarea Leopoldina, 50; Academia del Cimento, 27, 29; Academie de Physique de Caen, 30, 40, 50; Academie Royale

222

INDEX

des Sciences (Paris), 30, 32, 33, 40, 50, 56, 59, 84; Berlin Society of Sciences (Societas Regia Scientiarum), 50; Ger¬ man, 42; Haarlem Society, 59; Impe¬ rial Academy (Berlin), 50; Royal Soci¬ ety (London), 27, 35, 39, 51-59, 72, 97; see also: colleges, universities Scilla, A., 83, 85, 87, 88, 90 semiotics, 74, 76 Shackleton, R., 150 Shapin, S., 31, 34, 36 Shapiro, B„ 37, 39, 40, 41, 45 Ibn al-Shatir, 3, 4 Sherburne, E., 97; Marcus Manilius, 97 al-Shirazi, Q. al-Din., 3, 4 Siraisi, N., 68, 76 Smith, V., 78 Society of Jesus, 16, 50, 83, 89, 131, 132, 136, 137, 138, 141 Sorbiere, S., 52 Soto, D. de, 15, 16 Southgate, B., 54 Spiller, M., 54 Sprat, T., 51, 52, 56; History of the Royal Society, 56 Spufford, M., 63 stars, 119; intelligent souls, 113 Steneck, N., 41, 57 Steno, N., 82, 83, 85, 86, 87, 88, 90 Stevin, 12 Stimson, D., 56 Stock, B., 41 Stoics, 91 Stubbe, H., 66, 72 sun, 98, 105; rotating, 114, 116, 121, 128; sunspots, 136, 137 Suzanne, M., 32 Swerdlow, N., 3, 4, 10 Sydenham, T., 73, 74, 78 Talbot, C., 68 Taton, R., 33 Taylor, A., 113 telescope, 121, 128, 139, 142 Themo Judaeus, 7, 14 theology, 67 Theorica tradition, 5, 6, 7 therapeutics, 76 therapy, 75 Thomas, K., 42, 45 tides, 124, 138, 139, 140 Tilley, A., 48 Toletus, F., 16

Tome, S., 99 Torricelli, E., 12, 13, 25, 159, 160, 179; Lezioni accademiche, 13 Toscanelli, P., 10 Towneley, R., 96 Trinkaus, C., 41 al-Tusi, N. al-Din, 3 Tusi-couple, 3, 4 Tyacke, N., 45 underdetermination, 18 unity of knowledge, 53 universal gravitation, 99, 106 universities, 18, 45, 47, 49, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59; Cambridge, 46, 47, 48, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 59, 97; Leiden, 48, 59, 70; Louvain, 75; Montpellier, 70; Oxford, 46, 48, 51, 52> 53- 54- 56- 59- 72! role in early modern science, 25, 26, 27, 39, 45; Padua, 3, 4, 70, 133, 135, 141, 142; Paris, 48, 49; Pisa, 139; Vienna, 50 al-Urdi, M., 3, 4 urine, 70 variable stars, g8 Vasquez, G., 89 Venice, 139 Venus, 6, 98, 99, 105; phases, 6, 7, 99 Villalpand, 13 virtuosi, 58, 70, 71, 72; virtuosi-physicians, 66 Voltaire, F. M. A. de, 25, 143, 148, 149; Essai sur les moeurs, 148 Vossius, G., 48 Wallace, W., 7, 15, 17, 41, 82 Wallis, 158, 159, 160 Walton, I., 71 Ward, J., 48 Webster, C„ 27, 31, 34, 35, 36, 38 weights, 14 Westfall, R., 6, 7, 45, g6 Westman, R. S., 7, 10, 41, 45 Whewell, W., 11, 25 White, A., 25 White, L., 8 Whiteside, D., 96, 123, 124 Wittenberg astronomers, 2, 4, 10 Wursteisen, C., 133 Zahar, E., 6 Zurita, G. de, 146, 147 Zype, F. van den (Zypaeus), 75

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(continued from the front flap)

were by no means the exclusive interests of those now remembered as founders of mod¬ ern physics. The third section of essays is in more tradi¬ tional areas of interest to historians and phi¬ losophers of science but offers distinctly novel conclusions. Alan Gabbey provides the first modern treatment of a central problem in heliocentric astronomy and cosmology—the nature of the moon’s motion. Joseph Pitt offers a unique picture of the relationship between Bellarmine and Galileo. Bernard Goldstein punctures one of the great myths of the Copernican revolution: Alfonso of Cas¬ tile’s supposed dissatisfaction with the Pto¬ lemaic tradition. Finally, the last group pres¬ ents papers on early modern mathematics. Frangois De Gandt examines Cavalieri's mathematical practice during the period of the development of calculus. Emily Grosholz considers the mathematical practice of Des¬ cartes and demonstrates that Descartes’ own mathematical ideals were an impediment to the full utilization of the mathematical re¬ sources exploited by his successors. Peter Barker is associate professor in the Department of Philosophy and Science and Technology Studies at the Center for the Study of Science in Society, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Roger Ariew is professor in the Department of Philosophy and Center for the Programs in the Humanities at the same institution. Both also edited Pierre Duhem: Historian and Philosopher of Science.

Studies in Philosophy and the History of Philosophy

PHILOSOPHY AND ART Edited by Daniel 0. Dahlstrom Volume 23

The thirteen essays in this collection offer a variety of philosophical styles and perspectives on art. Some authors focus on specific forms of art, while others are more concerned with the interpretation given to art by past and contemporary philosophers and artists. In some essays, nothing less than the outline of a systematic account of the arts is ventured, even as other essays raise the question of the very possibility of such interpretations. Yet, all the essays address the question of specifying the distinctiveness of artworks or art itself. 282 pp. ISBN 0-8132-0724-X cloth

NATURE AND SCIENTIFIC METHOD Edited by Daniel O. Dahlstrom Volume 22

This collection of essays examines several philosophical issues regarding nature and scientific method both from contemporary and historical perspectives. 336 pp. ISBN 0-8132-0723-1 cloth

TOWARDS A CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY By Joseph Owens, C.Ss.R. Volume 21

The distinguished philosopher Joseph Owens brings together a lifetime of work on the problems presented by the notion of a Christian philosophy. ISBN □-fll32-B73fl-X 332 pp. ISBN 0-8132-0708-8 cloth

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