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Copernicus, Nicolaus, 1473-1543We have 1 book for this author.
Nicolaus Copernicus (February 19, 1473 – May 24, 1543) was the first European astronomer to formulate an explicitly heliocentric model of the solar system. His epochal book, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), is often conceived as the starting point of modern astronomy, as well as a central and defining epiphany in all the history of science. Among the great polymaths of the Scientific Revolution, Copernicus was a mathematician, astronomer, jurist, physician, classical scholar, Catholic cleric, governor, administrator, military leader, diplomat and economist. Amid his extensive responsibilities, astronomy figured as little more than an avocation. While the heliocentric theory had been formulated by Greek, Indian and Muslim savants centuries before Copernicus, his reiteration that the sun — rather than the Earth — is at the center of the solar system is considered among the most important landmarks in the history of modern science. LifeNicolaus Copernicus was born in 1473 in the city of Toruń (Thorn) in Royal Prussia province of the Kingdom of Poland.[1] He was educated at Kraków, Bologna, Padua and Ferrara, and spent most of his working life within the prince-bishopric of Warmia (Ermeland), in the town of Frombork (Frauenburg), where he died in 1543. Childhood
His father — a wealthy businessman, copper trader, and respected citizen of Toruń — died when Nicolaus was ten years old. Little is known of Copernicus' mother, Barbara Watzenrode, except that she was born into a rich merchant family and appears to have predeceased her husband. After the elder Copernicus' death, Nicolaus' maternal uncle, Lucas Watzenrode, a church canon and later Prince-Bishop governor of the Archbishopric of Warmia, reared Nicolaus and his three siblings. The uncle's position helped Copernicus in the pursuit of a career within the church, enabling him to devote much time to his astronomy studies. Copernicus had a brother and two sisters:
Education
In 1491 Copernicus enrolled at the Kraków Academy (now Jagiellonian University), where he probably first encountered astronomy with the professor Albert Brudzewski. This science soon fascinated him, and he began compiling a large library of books on the subject. Copernicus' library was later carried off as war booty by the Swedes, during "The Deluge", and is now housed in the Uppsala University Library. After four years at Kraków, followed by a brief stay back home at Toruń, Copernicus went to study law and medicine at the universities of Bologna and Padua. Copernicus' bishop uncle financed his education and wished for him to become a bishop as well. However, while studying canon and civil law at Bologna, Copernicus met the famous astronomer, Domenico Maria Novara da Ferrara. Copernicus attended Novara's lectures and became his disciple and assistant. The first observations that Copernicus made in 1497, together with Novara, are recorded in Copernicus' epochal book, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium.
In 1497 Copernicus' uncle was ordained Bishop of Warmia, and Copernicus was named a canon at Frombork Cathedral, but he waited in Italy for the great Jubilee of 1500. Copernicus went to Rome, where he observed a lunar eclipse and gave some lectures in astronomy and mathematics. He would thus have visited Frombork only in 1501. As soon as he arrived, he requested and obtained permission to complete his studies in Padua, where he studied medicine (with Guarico and Fracastoro), including astrological medicine, and at Ferrara, where in 1503 he received his doctorate in canon law. It has been surmised that it was in Padua that he encountered passages from Cicero and Plato about opinions of the ancients on the movement of the Earth, and formed the first intuition of his own future theory. In 1504 Copernicus began collecting observations and ideas pertinent to his theory. His WorkHaving left Italy at the end of his studies, he came to live and work at Frombork. Some time before his return to Warmia, he received a position at the Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross in Wrocław (Breslau), Silesia, Bohemia, which he held for many years and only resigned for health reasons shortly before his death. Through the rest of his life, he performed astronomical observations and calculations, but only as time permitted and never in a professional capacity. Coin reformCopernicus worked for years with the Royal Prussian Diet, with Albert, Duke of Prussia and advised the Polish king Sigismund I the Old on monetary reform. In 1526 Copernicus wrote a study on the value of money Monetae Cudendae Ratio. In it, Copernicus formulated an early iteration of the theory, now called "Gresham's Law," that "bad" (debased) coinage drives "good" (un-debased) coinage out of circulation, 70 years before Gresham. He also formulated a version of quantity theory of money. As governor of Warmia, he administered taxes and dealt out justice. During these years, Copernicus also traveled extensively on government business and as a diplomat, on behalf of the Prince-Bishop of Warmia. HeliocentrismIn 1514 Copernicus made available to friends his Commentariolus (Little Commentary) — a short handwritten text describing his ideas about the heliocentric hypothesis . Thereafter he continued gathering data for a more detailed work.
In 1533, Johann Albrecht Widmannstetter delivered in Rome a series of lectures outlining Copernicus' theory. The lectures were heard with interest by Pope Clement VII and several Catholic cardinals. On 1 November 1536, Archbishop of Capua Nicholas Schönberg wrote a letter to Copernicus from Rome:
By then Copernicus' work was nearing its definitive form, and rumors about his theory had reached educated people all over Europe. Despite urgings from many quarters, Copernicus delayed with the publication of his book, perhaps from fear of criticism — a fear delicately expressed in the subsequent Dedication of his masterpiece to Pope Paul III. About this, historians of science David Lindberg and Ronald Numbers have written:
The book
Copernicus was still working on De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (even if not convinced that he wanted to publish it) when in 1539 Georg Joachim Rheticus, a Wittenberg mathematician, arrived in Frombork. Philipp Melanchthon had arranged for Rheticus to visit several astronomers and study with them. Rheticus became Copernicus' pupil, staying with him for two years, during which he wrote a book, Narratio prima (First Account), outlining the essence of Copernicus' theory. In 1542 Rheticus published a treatise on trigonometry by Copernicus (later included in the second book of De revolutionibus). Under strong pressure from Rheticus, and having seen the favorable first general reception of his work, Copernicus finally agreed to give the book to his close friend, Tiedemann Giese, bishop of Chełmno (Kulm), to be delivered to Rheticus for printing by Johannes Petreius at Nuremberg (Nürnberg). Legend has it that the first printed copy of De revolutionibus was placed in Copernicus' hands on the very day he died, allowing him to take farewell of his opus vitae (life's work). He is reputed to have woken from a stroke-induced coma, looked at his book, and died peacefully. Copernicus was buried in Frombork Cathedral. Archeologists had long vainly searched for his remains when, on November 3, 2005, it was announced that in August that year Copernicus' skull had been discovered (see "Grave," below). Copernican systemPredecessorsEarly traces of a heliocentric model are found in several anonymous Vedic Sanskrit texts composed in ancient India before the 7th century BCE. Additionally, the Indian astronomer and mathematician Aryabhata anticipated elements of Copernicus' work by over a thousand years. Aristarchus of Samos in the 3rd century BCE elaborated some theories of Heraclides Ponticus (the daily rotation of the Earth on its axis, the revolution of Venus and Mercury around the Sun) to propose what was the first scientific model of a heliocentric solar system: the Earth and all other planets revolving around the Sun, the Earth rotating around its axis daily, the Moon in turn revolving around the Earth once a month. His heliocentric work has not survived, so we can only speculate about what led him to his conclusions. It is notable that, according to Plutarch, a contemporary of Aristarchus accused him of impiety for "putting the Earth in motion." Copernicus cited Aristarchus and Philolaus in a surviving early manuscript of his book, stating: "Philolaus believed in the mobility of the earth, and some even say that Aristarchus of Samos was of that opinion." For reasons unknown (possibly from reluctance to quote pre-Christian sources), he did not include this passage in the published book. It has been argued that in developing the mathematics of heliocentrism Copernicus drew on not just the Greek, but also the work of Muslim astronomers, especially the works of Nasir al-Din Tusi (Tusi-couple), Mo'ayyeduddin Urdi (Urdi lemma) and Ibn al-Shatir. Copernicus also discussed the theories of Ibn Battuta and Averroes in his major work. Ptolemy
The prevailing theory in Europe as Copernicus was writing was that created by Ptolemy in his Almagest, dating from about 150 A.D.. The Ptolemaic system drew on many previous theories that viewed Earth as a stationary center of the universe. Stars were embedded in a large outer sphere which rotated relatively rapidly, while the planets dwelt in smaller spheres between — a separate one for each planet. CopernicusCopernicus' major theory was published in the book, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres) during the year of his death, 1543, though he had arrived at his theory several decades earlier. The Copernican system can be summarized in seven propositions, as Copernicus himself collected them in a Compendium of De revolutionibus that was found and published in 1878. The major parts of Copernican theory are:
The work itself was then divided into six books:
Copernicanism
Copernicus' theory is of extraordinary importance in the history of human knowledge. Many authors suggest that few other persons have exerted a comparable influence on human culture in general and on science in particular.[citation needed] There are parallels with the life of Charles Darwin, in that both men produced a short early description of their theories, but held back on a definitive publication until late in life, against a backdrop of controversy, particularly with regard to religion. Many meanings have been ascribed to Copernicus' theory, apart from its strictly scientific import. His work affected religion as well as science, dogma as well as freedom of scientific inquiry. Copernicus' rank as a scientist is often compared with that of Galileo. The Copernican theory challenged Aristotle's and Ptolemy's commonly accepted geocentric model of the universe endorsed by the Church. Copernicanism also opened a way to immanence, the view that a divine force, or divine being, pervades all that exists — a view that has since been developed further in modern philosophy.[citation needed] Immanentism also leads to subjectivism: to the theory that it is perception that creates reality, that there is no underlying reality that exists independent of perception.[citation needed] Thus some argue that Copernicanism demolished the foundations of medieval science and metaphysics.[attribution needed] A corollary of Copernicanism is that scientific law need not be congruent with appearance. This contrasts with Aristotle's system, which placed much more importance on the derivation of knowledge through the senses. Copernicus' concept marked a scientific revolution. The publication of his De revolutionibus orbium coelestium is often taken to mark the beginning of the Scientific Revolution, together with the publication of Andreas Vesalius' De Humani Corporis Fabrica.[4] Quotes
Goethe:
Nietzsche:
Copernicus:
Declaration of the Polish Senate, June 12, 2003:
Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie: ADB, published between 1875 and 1912, Seite 465
Johannes Rau (President of Germany) addressed the Polish people in 1999:
Grave
In August 2005, a team of archeologists led by Jerzy Gąssowski, head of an archaeology and anthropology institute in Pułtusk, discovered what they believe to be Copernicus' grave and remains, after scanning beneath the floor of Frombork Cathedral. The find came after a year of searching, and the discovery was announced only after further research, on November 3. Gąssowski said he was "almost 100 percent sure it is Copernicus". Forensic expert Capt. Dariusz Zajdel of the Central Forensic Laboratory of the Polish Police used the skull to reconstruct a face that closely resembled the features — including a broken nose and a scar above the left eye — on a Copernicus self-portrait.[10] The expert also determined that the skull had belonged to a man who had died about age 70 — Copernicus' age at the time of his death. The grave was in poor condition, and not all the remains were found. The archeologists hoped to find deceased relatives of Copernicus in order to attempt DNA identification. NationalityIt remains to this day a matter of dispute whether Copernicus should be regarded as German or Polish.[11] The ending "–nik" in the original form of the astronomer's name (Kopernik), meaning "one who works with (copper)," indicates Polish roots.[12] On the title page of Copernicus' epochal book, Nicolai Copernici Torinensis De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium Libri VI (Six Books on the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres, by Nicolaus Copernicus of Toruń), the astronomer's name appears in the Latin form, "Nicolaus Copernicus." In German references to Copernicus, the name is written "Nikolaus Kopernikus," each of the three "c's" being replaced with the letter "k". The Polish rendering is "Mikołaj Kopernik". Copernicus' father, possibly a Germanized Slav,[13] had been a citizen of Kraków but had left Poland's capital in 1460 to move to Toruń, known in German as Thorn. Most historians believe Copernicus' mother was German.[14] It has therefore been argued that Copernicus' "mother tongue" was German. While he was fluent in German[citation needed], no direct evidence survives of the extent of his knowledge of Polish. His main language for written communication was Latin. An important inland port in the Hanseatic League, Toruń was also part of the Prussian Confederation, which, some decades before Copernicus' birth, sought independence from the Teutonic Knights, who had ruled the area for two hundred years and were imposing high taxes that hindered economic development. This led to the Thirteen Years' War and the Peace of Toruń of 1466; Prussia's western part became part of the Kingdom of Poland as "Royal Prussia," while the eastern part remained under the administration of the Teutonic Order. Copernicus was born and grew up in Toruń, then as now located in Poland, but (like many cities in Poland at that time) with a mainly German citizenry, and was therefore a subject of the Polish crown.[15] This is cited as a major reason why he is commonly regarded as Polish. However, in Copernicus' time, nationality had yet to play as important a role as it would later, and people generally did not think of themselves primarily as Poles or Germans.[16] Indeed, he might have considered himself to be both at the same time.
Following extended studies in Italy, Copernicus spent most of his working life as a cleric in Royal Prussia which, though a part of the Polish crown, enjoyed substantial autonomy — it had its own Diet, monetary unit and treasury (which Copernicus famously labored to place on a sound footing) and army. Copernicus also oversaw the defense of the castle of Olsztyn (Allenstein) at the head of Polish royal forces when they were besieged by the forces of Albrecht Hohenzollern, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order. Copernicus also participated in the peace negotiations. Later, Albrecht called on Copernicus' services as physician and in 1551, published a volume of his astrological observations.[17] Copernicus remained for the rest of his life a burgher of Warmia (Bishopric of Warmia), and was a loyal subject of the Catholic Prince-Bishops and the Catholic Polish King during the Protestant Reformation. In 1757, Copernicus' book was removed from the Vatican's Index Librorum Prohibitorum, the list of books banned by the Catholic Church. Ever since, Poles have claimed that Copernicus was a Pole and Germans that he was a German. Before Copernicus and his ideas were widely embraced, it had been the reverse. Since 1842, a bust of Copernicus has been enshrined at the Walhalla temple, the German Hall of Fame. In Nazi Germany, Copernicus was claimed to be purely German;[18] since 1945, German assertions have diminished. Acknowledgment of his connections to Poland notwithstanding, however, in Germany Copernicus is not considered "un-German" or "non-German." In 2003 he was declared eligible for the TV event organized by ZDF, Unsere Besten (Our Best), a ranking of the "greatest Germans".
In Poland, in 1973, the 500th anniversary of Copernicus' birth was an occasion to celebrate the "great Pole"; a banknote was issued, bearing Copernicus' likeness. Thirty years later, on June 12, 2003, the Polish Senate declared him an "exceptional Pole." These claims and counter-claims are somewhat anachronistic. In Copernicus' lifetime, "nationality" did not have the same meaning as today. Many ethnic Germans were loyal subjects of the Polish crown. The universal language of science was Latin, and academics throughout Europe communicated in that idiom. See also
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External links
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