HPSC20015 Astronomy in World History | Theory of Copernicus
1. From Osiander's Foreword to De Revolutionibus, find at least two arguments for instrumentalism. Support your answer with quotations. 2. Using arguments and examples from Copernicus' Preface to De Revolutionibus, explain the difference between a simple theory, a complex theory, and a coherent theory. Is a coherent theory necessarily simple? 3. Describe an instance where Galileo believed a theory that appeared to be contradicted by some observational evidence. Was he justified in doing so (i.e. did he have good theoretical arguments or observational evidence)? 4. According to G...