Freeing Astronomy from Philosophy: An Aspect of Islamic Influence on Science

Islamic Astronomy and Copernicus

“…Indeed, the question of the Earth's rotation 34 This is true even when they were writing in a theological context as Qūshjī was in the remarks quoted above. In other parts of the Shar ḣ Tajrīd, he was at some pains to defend astronomy from those theologians who would disparage it (Ragep 2001). 35 We should recall that Qūshjī also raised the possibility that something could have both a rectilinear inclination and a natural circular motion (see above).…”

Islamic Reactions to Ptolemy’s Imprecisions

“…But the ongoing interest in observations and the ever increasing size of the instruments to make those observations-eventually culminating in the creation of the large-scale observatory-were often justified in terms of glorifying God's creation (Ragep 2001). If my suspicions are correct, it would seem that one of the unexpected consequences of the transplantation of ancient astronomy into Islamic soil was the subtle yet potent effect of monotheistic creationism in encouraging the astronomer to pay close attention to the sensual, phenomenal, and mundane world.…”

'Instrumentalism' and 'Realism' as Categories in the History of Astronomy: Duhem vs. Popper, Maimonides vs. Gersonides

“…For our purposes here it is sufficient to note that it is only in the Arabic tradition, beginning in the ninth century, that we find a new type of scientist, one who, in conformity with a general trend to mathematize natural phenomena, endeavored to satisfy the desiderata of both (Aristotelian) natural philosophy and mathematical astronomy. 8 (Later, though, a movement in the opposite direction took place, in an effort to secure the intellectual independence of mathematical astronomy; see Ragep 2001. ) In the East, Thābit Ibn Qurra (826-901), Ibn al-Haytham (965-c. 1041) and their successors tried to create a unified theory of the heavens, by integrating physics and advanced mathematical astronomy.…”

“…Ever since Duhem, Maimonides is justly considered as having formulated with particular clarity (what has been called) the instrumentalist stance on astronomy. Duhem considered the instrumentalist stance to be Maimonides' own view, and barely hid his surprise in face of the 'prudent skepticism' expressed by this representative of 'Semitic Peripatetism' who, alone among the writers in Arabic, succeeded in ''elevating himself up to the doctrine formulated by the Greek thinkers,'' whose doctrine he expressed in words ''almost identical'' with theirs (Duhem [1908(Duhem [ ] 1982; on Duhem's attitude to the Arabs [including, for once, the Jews], see Ragep 1990). Practically all subsequent authors on instrumentalism have also commented on Maimonides and in what follows my aim is to try and clarify further Maimonides' attitude -or rather attitudes -toward the science of the heaven in general and toward astronomy in particular, as expressed in the Guide of the Perplexed.…”