Skip to content
1882
Volume 68, Issue 180-181
  • ISSN: 0003-9810
  • E-ISSN: 2507-038X

Abstract

Abstract

Astronomers before Newton in the 17th century attempted to find the best world system in the light of the new data and the novel observations that had been provided by the telescope but were not sufficient to prove that Copernicus was right. Using the new information, the Jesuit Giovanni Battista Riccioli developed a geo-heliocentric system that he considered a satisfactory alternative to heliocentrism. He argued that physical causes are difficult to generalize, but that nonetheless astronomers could formulate well-founded hypotheses. He skillfully combined the empirical data to articulate a deductive system, organized into elements such as definitions, arguments, theorems, corollaries, hypotheses, and so on. This system allowed him to avoid some of the errors of competing theories, and to obtain what he considered criteria to choose the best () using the so-called .

This article examines the conceptual and technical background of the Jesuit’s hypothesis and discusses how he was cautious yet bold in the way he formulated it.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1484/J.ARIHS.5.120152
2018-01-01
2025-12-08

Metrics

Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Baldini U., Legem impone subactis. Studi su Filosofia e scienza dei gesuiti in Italia, Roma, Bulzoni, 1992.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Borgato M. T., «Riccioli e la caduta dei gravi», Giambattista Riccioli e il merito scientifico dei Gesuiti nell’età barocca, Borgato M. T. (ed.), Firenze, Leo S. Olschki, 2002, p. 79-118.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Bullialdus I., Philolai, sive Dissertationis de vero systemate mundi libri IV, Amsterdami, apud Guil. et Johannem Blaev, 1639.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Bullialdus I., Astronomia philolaica: opus novum, in quo motus planetarum per novam ac veram hypothesim demonstrantur mediique motus, Parisiis, sumptibus Simeonis Piget, 1645.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Burtt E. A., The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Science, London - New York, Harcourt & Kegan Paul, 1925.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Delambre J. B. J., Histoire de l’astronomie moderne, I, Paris, Courcier - Libraire pour les Sciences, 1821.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Dinis A., A Jesuit against Galileo? The Strange Case of Giovanni Battista Riccioli Cosmology, Braga, Axioma - Publicações da Faculdade de Filosofia, 2017.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Evans J., The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy, New York - Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1998.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Fix C. G., Geschichte Der Astronomie von den ältesten bis auf gegenwärtige Zeiten, in zwey Bänden, Chemnitz, Hofmann und Fiedler, 1792.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Galilei G., Le opere di Galileo Galilei. Edizione nazionale sotto gli auspicii di Sua Maestà il Re d’Italia, Favaro A. (ed.), 19 voll., Firenze, G. Barbèra, 1929-39.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Galluzzi P., «Galileo contro Copernico. Il dibattito sulla “prova” galileiana di G.B. Riccioli contro il moto della Terra», Annali dell’Istituto e Museo di Storia della scienza di Firenze (2), 1977, p. 87-148.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Giampriamo N., Specula Parthenopaea uranophilis iuvenibus excitata, duplici constructione ordineque disposita. Seu astronomicae pro motibus primi ac secundorum mobilium computandis, observandisque, theoriae, praxes, ac tabulae ad meridianum neapolitani Collegii Academici Societatis Jesu, Neapoli, Excudebat Regius Typographus Seraphinus Porfile, 1748.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Graney C. M., Setting Aside All Authority. Giovanni Battista Riccioli and the Science against Copernicus in the Age of Galileo, Notre Dame, University of Notre Dame Press, 2015.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Heidelberg M., Schiemann G. (eds.), The Significance of the Hypothetical in the Natural Sciences, Berlin - New York, W. De Gruyter, 2009.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Kircher A., Iter exstaticum celeste, Herbipoli, sumptibus Johannis Andreae Endteri, [et] Wolfgangi junioris haeredum, 1671.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Langmuir I., «Pathological Science», Research Technology Management, 32/5, 1989, p. 11-17.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Marcacci F., «Stile argomentativo e dimostrazioni probabili. Considerazioni intorno all’epistemologia di Giovanni Battista Riccioli», Physis, LI (Nuova Serie Fasc. 1-2), 2016, p. 357-368.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Marcacci F., «Umanesimo scientifico e formazione dell’uomo in età moderna», Formare e tras-formare l’umano, Vimercati E., Manganaro P. (eds.), Pisa, ETS, 2017, p. 151-166.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Marcacci F., «Natura e moto dei cieli visibili secondo Giovanni Battista Riccioli. Analisi di Almagestum Novum, vol. II, lib. IX, sect. I e II», Rivista di filosofia neoscolastica, 1, 2018, p. 301-321.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Marcacci F., Cieli in contraddizione. Giovanni Battista Riccioli e il terzo sistema del mondo, Perugia - Modena, Aguaplano - Accademia delle Scienze Lettere e Arti di Modena, 2018.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Marcacci F., «Lo statuto dell’astronomia e il metodo delle ipotesi secondo Giovanni Battista Riccioli», Syzethesis, 1, 2019, p. 9-24.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Martens R., Kepler’s Philosophy and the New Astronomy, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2000.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. McMullin E., «Hypothesis in Early Modern Science», The Significance of the Hypothetical in the Natural Sciences, Heidelberg M., Schiemann G. (eds.), Berlin - New York, W. De Gruyter, 2009, p. 7-37.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Riccioli G. B., Almagestum novum astronomiam veterem novamque complectens: observationibus aliorum, et propriis novisque theorematibus, problematibus, ac tabulis promotam: in tres tomos distributam quorum argumentum sequens pagina explicabit, Bononiae, Ex Typographia Haeredis Victorij Benatij, 1651.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Riccioli G. B., Astronomiae reformatae tomi duo, quorum prior observationes, hypotheses et fundamenta tabularum, posterior praecepta pro usu Tabularum Astronomicarum, et ipsas tabulas astronomicas 102 continet. Prioris tomi in decem libros divisi, argumenta pagina sequenti exponitur. Auctore P. Ioanne Baptista Ricciolo…, Bononiae, Ex Typographia Haeredis Victorij Benatij, 1665.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Riccioli G. B., Argomento fisico-mattematico, Bologna, per Emilio Maria, e fratelli de’ Manolessi, 1668.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Romano A., La Contre-Réforme mathématique: constitution et diffusion d’une culture mathématique jésuite à la Renaissance (1540-1640), Roma, École française de Rome, 1999.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Westfall R. S., «Unpublished Boyle papers relating to scientific method. I», Annals of Science, 12/1, 1956, p. 63-73.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Westfall R. S., «Unpublished Boyle papers relating to scientific method. II», Annals of Science, 12/2, 1956, p. 103-117.
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1484/J.ARIHS.5.120152
Loading
  • Article Type: Research Article
This is a required field.
Please enter a valid email address.
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An error occurred.
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error:
Please enter a valid_number test
aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnJlcG9sc29ubGluZS5uZXQv