God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern ScienceThis is a powerful and a thrilling narrative history revealing the roots of modern science in the medieval world. The adjective 'medieval' has become a synonym for brutality and uncivilized behavior. Yet without the work of medieval scholars there could have been no Galileo, no Newton and no Scientific Revolution. In "God's Philosophers", James Hannam debunks many of the myths about the Middle Ages, showing that medieval people did not think the earth is flat, nor did Columbus 'prove' that it is a sphere; the Inquisition burnt nobody for their science nor was Copernicus afraid of persecution; no Pope tried to ban human dissection or the number zero. "God's Philosophers" is a celebration of the forgotten scientific achievements of the Middle Ages - advances which were often made thanks to, rather than in spite of, the influence of Christianity and Islam. Decisive progress was also made in technology: spectacles and the mechanical clock, for instance, were both invented in thirteenth-century Europe. Charting an epic journey through six centuries of history, "God's Philosophers" brings back to light the discoveries of neglected geniuses like John Buridan, Nicole Oresme and Thomas Bradwardine, as well as putting into context the contributions of more familiar figures like Roger Bacon, William of Ockham and Saint Thomas Aquinas. |
Contents
The TwelfthCentury Renaissance | |
Heresy and Reason | |
The Apogee of Medieval Science | |
New Horizons | |
Humanism and the Reformation | |
The Polymaths of the Sixteenth Century | |
The Workings of Man Medicine and Anatomy | |
Humanist Astronomy and Nicolaus Copernicus Chapter 18 Reforming the Heavens | |
Galileo and Giordano Bruno | |
Galileo and the New Astronomy | |
How Pagan Science was Christianised | |
Bloody Failure Magic and Medicine in the Middle Ages | |
The Secret Arts of Alchemy and Astrology | |
Roger Bacon and the Science of Light | |
The Clockmaker Richard of Wallingford | |
The Merton Calculators | |
The Trial and Triumph of Galileo | |
A Scientific Revolution? | |
Suggestions for Further Reading | |
Timeline | |
List of Key Characters | |
Notes | |
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God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern ... James Hannam No preview available - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
Abelard Adelard of Bath Anselm Arabic argument Aristotle Aristotle’s astrologer astronomical believed Bible bishop Boethius Bradwardine Bruno called Cambridge University Press Cardan cathedral Catholic Cecco chapter Christian Church Copernicus doctor early earth Emperor Empire Europe Ficino France Franciscans Galileo Gerbert God’s Harmondsworth heavens Héloïse heresy heretics Hermetic corpus History human humanists Ibid ideas inquisitors invented Islam Italy John Buridan Kepler Latin Lindberg logic London magic magnetism master mathematician mathematics mean speed theorem meant medicine Medieval Science Merton Calculators Middle Ages modern science motion moving Muslim natural philosophy Nicole Oresme orbit Oresme Oxford Penguin Peter Peter Abelard planets Plato Pope Ptolemy Ptolemy’s realised reason Reformation religious Renaissance Richard Richard of Wallingford Roger Bacon Roman Rome scholars Scientific Biography sixteenth century sphere stars textbook theologian theology theory things Thomas Aquinas thought trans translated Tycho university of Paris western William William of Conches wrote