Abstract
THE results of the ‘Copernican Revolution’ have been well described by historians of science. Less has been said about the origins of this revolution; that is, the problems and facts leading Copernicus to a conviction of the physical truth of the Earth's daily rotation and of its annual revolution around the Sun. I have developed a conjecture on this problem which will doubtless prove incorrect when closer study of the relevant sources is made, but which at least directs attention to a natural series of scientific problems, and which is based on Copernicus's own recollections of his early work.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
In Rosen, E., Three Copernican Treatises, second ed., 136 (New York: Dover, and London: Constable, 1959).
Quoted from Kuhn, T., The Copernican Revolution (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1957), p. 138. Prof. Kuhn suggested there a possible connexion between calendar reform and the heliostatic hypothesis (p. 271), and he has given me generous and valuable assistance in connexion with this study.
Rosen, op. cit., 65.
Kennedy, E. S., and Roberts, Victor, Isis, 50, 227 (1953).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
RAVETZ, J. Origins of the Copernican Revolution. Nature 189, 859–860 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1038/189859a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/189859a0
- Springer Nature Limited