The publication of Nicholas Copernicus' ON THE REVOLUTIONS OF THE HEAVENLY SPHERES in 1543 is often thought to mark the beginning of a revolution not only in astronomy, but in Western thought more broadly construed. Co-taught by a physicist and a philosopher, this course will explore the scientific, historical, and philosophical implications of Copernicus's proposal, with special emphasis on his solution to the age-old problem of planetary motion.
In the year 1548 an Italian boy was born in the little town of Nola, not far from Vesuvius. Although, he spent the greater part of his life in hostile and foreign countries he was drawn back to his home at the end of his travels and after he had written nearly twenty books.