The physical displacement of the earth is a scientific statement that has
nothing to do with the general notion of what or whom humans are. I am
thinking like a modern scientist not caring who those in the past thought.
Can we then say that the Anthropic principle places humans at the center of
creation? Moorad
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Roberts <topper@robertschirk.u-net.com>
To: Moorad Alexanian <alexanian@uncwil.edu>; americanscientificaffiliation
<asa@calvin.edu>; tdavis@messiah.edu <tdavis@messiah.edu>
Date: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 1:21 PM
Subject: Re: Copernicus was wrong?
>It's pretty obvious, by displacing the earth Copernicus displaced humans.
>
>Who was bothered that the earth was moving. The only "reference" I know of
>is that of calvin, which he never said or wrote.
>
>Michael Roberts
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Moorad Alexanian" <alexanian@uncwil.edu>
>To: "americanscientificaffiliation" <asa@calvin.edu>; <tdavis@messiah.edu>
>Sent: Monday, August 06, 2001 3:08 PM
>Subject: Fw: Copernicus was wrong?
>
>
>> The discovery of Copernicus was a scientific discovery about the solar
>> system and has nothing to do with humans. He may have displaced the
earth,
>> but we know nothing about displacing humans. Moorad
>>
>>
>>
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >From: Ted Davis <tdavis@messiah.edu>
>> >To: asa@calvin.edu <asa@calvin.edu>
>> >Date: Sunday, August 05, 2001 10:39 PM
>> >Subject: Copernicus was wrong?
>> >
>> >
>> >>Glenn Morton writes (correctly) that Copernicus is usually credited
with
>> >>moving humans out of the center. However, as I have noted in other
>forums
>> >>several times, this very common notion is very wrong. In short,
>> Copernicus
>> >>did not move humanity from the center--because we were never there!
>> >Ptolemy
>> >>and others since antiquity were well aware of the earth's approximate
>size
>> >>and shape, and medieval intellectuals were fully aware that we are a
>very
>> >>significant 4000 miles from the "center" of the universe. Furthermore,
>it
>> >>was not desireable to be in the center at all, for that's where hell
was
>> >>thought to be. This feature of Copernicanism--moving humanity away
from
>> >the
>> >>center--did not bother people at the time; what bothered them was the
>> >>ridiculous claim that the earth is moving.
>> >>
>> >>The myth that Copernicus assaulted human dignity may have been invented
>by
>> >>Freud, as part of a selve-serving idea that Copernicus moved us out of
>the
>> >>center, Darwin reduced our uniqueness, and he (Freud) had assaulted our
>> >>rationality. I say "may have been," b/c I am not confident this part
>of
>> >>the story is right. But I'm confident the first paragraph is right.
>> >>
>> >>Ted Davis
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>Edward B. Davis
>> >>Professor of the History of Science
>> >>Messiah College
>> >>Grantham, PA 17027
>> >>717-766-2511 (voice)
>> >>717-691-6002 (fax)
>> >>
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>
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