Medieval Science - Test 3

What is science?

scientia = knowledge

Science as we know it used to be ‘natural philosophy’

About 12th century renaissance…

• Began in cathedral schools

• Based on neoplatonic philosophy

• Renewed emphasis on critical objectivity

• Active seeking of knowledge

What is the medieval cosmos

• All God’s creation

• Earth-centred universe

• Everything in the sub-lunar world made from four elements: earth, water, air, fire

• Subject to chance = corruptible = imperfect

The seven planetary spheres:

Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn

The outer spheres

• The zodiac

• The “prime mover”

• The heavens

Why spheres?

• Most perfect geometric shape

• Explains basic phenomena on earth

Hierarchy of being is based on…

• Types of souls

• capacity of motion

• levels of consciousness

• levels of perfection, i.e resemblance to god

Who recognized the importance of math?

• Robert Grosseteste

• Roger Bacon

Arithmetic in base 10 comes from…

• Arab mathematician Al-Khwarizmi: algorism, this is where the word algorithm comes from

Two styles of numerals…

Figure indice - Indian figures, numbers in arabic

Figure toletane - numbering from Toledo - Western numbers

Leonardo of Pisa

• Fibonacci

• Lived 10th-11th c.

• First to use the Hindu-Arabic decimal system of numbering systematically

Abacus…

• Aid to compute with larger numbers

• Little thingy with the slidey beads

Robert Grosseteste on the metaphysics of light…

• Essential to creation: emanation of light dragged matter along with it to create the universe

• Emanated from highest celestial sphere; god.

• Progressive diffusion through spheres

Age-driven decline in vision

“The scholars curse”

Reading glasses…

Appear in the late 13th c. mentioned by Rodger Bacon.

2 pseudo authors of medieval medicine…

1. Hippocrates

2. Galen

Theory of 4 humors…

• Blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile

• Disease caused by an imbalance of these humors