Question 1

define the following term:
-"God's handiwork"

Accepted Answer

"God's handiwork" refers to anything that is believed to have been created by God. In religious contexts, this term is often used to describe the natural world, including the universe, the Earth, and all living creatures, as manifestations of God's creative power and design. The concept is rooted in the idea that God is the ultimate craftsman or artist, and that everything in existence has been fashioned with intention and purpose.

In Christianity, for example, the term is associated with passages from the Bible, such as Ephesians 2:10, which states, "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." This suggests that not only the physical world but also human beings are part of God's creation, designed to fulfill a specific role or mission.

The term can also be used more broadly to express a sense of wonder or appreciation for the complexity and beauty of the world, which some people view as evidence of a divine creator. It encompasses the idea that there is a higher intelligence or power responsible for the intricacies and order found in nature and the cosmos.

Question 2

define the following term:
-geocentric conception

Accepted Answer

The term "geocentric conception" refers to an ancient and historical model of the universe in which Earth is at the center of all celestial bodies. This geocentric view posits that the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets all orbit around the Earth. The word "geocentric" comes from the Greek words "geo" meaning Earth and "kentron" meaning center.

This conception was widely accepted in the Western world from antiquity until the 16th century, largely influenced by the work of philosophers and astronomers such as Aristotle and Ptolemy. Ptolemy's model, in particular, known as the Ptolemaic system, was a sophisticated version of the geocentric conception that explained the apparent retrograde motion of the planets through a system of epicycles, where planets moved in small circles that in turn moved along larger circles around the Earth.

The geocentric model was eventually superseded by the heliocentric model, which places the Sun at the center of the solar system. This shift was initiated by the work of Nicolaus Copernicus, and further supported by astronomers such as Johannes Kepler, who refined the model with elliptical orbits, and Galileo Galilei, who provided empirical evidence through his telescopic observations.

The transition from the geocentric to the heliocentric model marked a major paradigm shift in astronomy and is considered one of the key episodes in the history of science, often referred to as the Copernican Revolution. It fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe and our place within it.

Question 3

define the following term:
-Ptolemaic conception

Accepted Answer

The Ptolemaic conception refers to the astronomical and cosmological model developed by the Greco-Egyptian astronomer Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century CE. This model, also known as the Ptolemaic system or the geocentric model, posits that the Earth is at the center of the universe and all other celestial bodies, including the sun, moon, stars, and planets, revolve around it in a series of complex paths.

Key aspects of the Ptolemaic conception include:

1. Geocentrism: The belief that Earth is the immovable center of the universe, and all other celestial bodies orbit around it.

2. Epicycles: To explain the apparent retrograde motion of the planets (where they appear to move backward in the sky), Ptolemy introduced the concept of epicycles. In this system, planets move in small circles called epicycles, which in turn move along larger circles called deferents, centered on the Earth.

3. Eccentrics and Equants: Ptolemy also used eccentrics—circles whose centers are not exactly at the Earth—and the equant point, an imaginary point used to account for the uneven speed of the planets as seen from Earth, to further refine his model and better match the observed planetary motions.

4. Spheres: The Ptolemaic model envisioned the universe as a set of nested, concentric spheres, with the Earth at the center and the spheres of the moon, sun, planets, and fixed stars surrounding it.

The Ptolemaic conception was widely accepted for over a millennium and was the dominant astronomical paradigm until the Copernican Revolution in the 16th century, when Nicolaus Copernicus proposed a heliocentric model, placing the sun at the center of the universe. This shift marked the beginning of modern astronomy and eventually led to the rejection of the geocentric model in favor of the heliocentric conception and the further development of celestial mechanics based on the laws of motion and universal gravitation established by Isaac Newton.

Question 4

define the following term:
-the Empyrean Heaven

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-the Empyrean Heaven...

Question 5

Compare the methods used by Bacon and Descartes. How did each thinker contribute to the development of the scientific method?

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Question 6

In what ways did the fifteenth-century Renaissance contribute to the sixteenth and seventeenth-century Scientific Revolution?

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Question 7

In what ways did Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton challenge prevailing ideas about the structure of the universe? What elements of that cosmology did they leave intact?

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Question 8

define the following term:
-"natural philosophers"

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-"natural philosophers"...

Question 9

define the following term:
-Aristotle

Accepted Answer

Aristotle was a natural historian and author who formed early ideas of the great chain of being.

Question 10

Why did the Catholic Church view Galileo as a threat to its power and authority?

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Question 11

What was rationalism? Why is Descartes considered the founder of "modern rationalism"?

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Question 12

define the following term:
-epicycles

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-epicycles...

Question 13

How was the new scientific knowledge spread in the seventeenth century?

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Question 14

In what ways was the work of Isaac Newton the culmination of almost two centuries of scientific research and development?

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Question 15

define the following term:
-Nicolaus Copernicus

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-Nicolaus Copernicus...

Question 16

What were the key features of medieval cosmology?

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Question 17

How did women contribute to the beginnings of modern science? How did most male scientists view women in general and female scientists in particular?

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Question 18

How did Pascal view the relationship between science and religion?

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Question 19

define the following term:
-alchemy

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-alchemy...

Question 20

What did Vesalius and Harvey contribute to a scientific view of medicine? Be specific and give examples.

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Quiz 4: Toward a New Heaven and a New Earth: the Scientific Revolution and the Emergence of Modern Science

define the following term: -"God's handiwork"

define the following term: -geocentric conception

define the following term: -Ptolemaic conception

define the following term: -the Empyrean Heaven

Compare the methods used by Bacon and Descartes. How did each thinker contribute to the development of the scientific method?

In what ways did the fifteenth-century Renaissance contribute to the sixteenth and seventeenth-century Scientific Revolution?

In what ways did Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton challenge prevailing ideas about the structure of the universe? What elements of that cosmology did they leave intact?

define the following term: -"natural philosophers"

define the following term: -Aristotle