A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume IDe Morgan, Augustus
Philosophy
A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume I
De Morgan, Augustus
Circle-squaring; Perpetual motion; Science -- Miscellanea; Trisection of angle
(p. 6.) "_Copernicus._ Cur ergo hesitamus adhuc, mobilitatem illi formae suae
a natura congruentem concedere, magisquam quod totus labatur mundus, cujus
finis ignoratur, scirique nequit, neque fateamur ipsius cotidianae
revolutionis in coelo apparentiam esse, et in terra veritatem? Et haec
perinde se habere, ac si diceret Virgilianus AEneas: Provehimur portu ...
_Emend._ Cur ergo non possum mobilitatem illi formae suae concedere, magisque
quod totus labatur mundus, cujus finis ignoratur scirique nequit, et quae
apparent in coelo, perinde se habere ac si ..."[146]
{94}
"Why should we hesitate to allow the earth's motion," must be altered into
"I cannot concede the earth's motion."
(p. 7.) "_Copernicus._ Addo etiam, quod satis absurdum videretur,
continenti sive locanti motum adscribi, et non potius contento et locato,
quod est terra. _Emend._ Addo etiam difficilius non esse contento et
locato, quod est Terra, motum adscribere, quam continenti."[147]
We must not say it is absurd to refuse motion to the _contained_ and
_located_, and to give it to the containing and locating; say that neither
is more difficult than the other.
(p. 7.) "_Copernicus._ Vides ergo quod ex his omnibus probabilior sit
mobilitas Terrae, quam ejus quies, praesertim in cotidiana revolutione,
tanquam terrae maxime propria. _Emend._ _Vides_ ... delendus est usque ad
finem capitis."[148]
Strike out the whole of the chapter from this to the end; it says that the
motion of the earth is the most probable hypothesis.
(Cap. 9. lib. i. p. 7.) "_Copernicus._ Cum igitur nihil prohibeat
mobilitatem Terrae, videndum nunc arbitror, an etiam plures illi motus
conveniant, ut possit una errantium syderum existimari. _Emend._ Cum igitur
Terram moveri assumpserim, videndum nunc arbitror, an etiam illi plures
possint convenire motus."[149]
{95}
We must not say that nothing prohibits the motion of the earth, only that
having _assumed_ it, we may inquire whether our explanations require
several motions.
(Cap. 10. lib. i. p. 9.) "_Copernicus._ Non pudet nos fateri ... hoc potius
in mobilitate terrae verificari. _Emend._ Non pudet nos assumere ... hoc
consequenter in mobilitate verificari."[150]
(Cap. 10. lib. i. p. 10.) "_Copernicus._ Tanta nimirum est divina haec. Opt.
Max. fabrica. _Emend._ Dele illa verba postrema."[151]
(Cap. ii. lib. i.[152]) "_Copernicus._ De triplici motu telluris
demonstratio. _Emend._ De hypothesi triplicis motus Terrae, ejusque
demonstratione."[153]
(Cap. 10. lib. iv. p. 122.[154]) "_Copernicus._ De magnitudine horum trium
siderum, Solis, Lunae, et Terrae. _Emend._ Dele verba _horum trium siderum_,
quia terra non est sidus, ut facit eam Copernicus."[155]
We must not say we are not ashamed to _acknowledge_; _assume_ is the word.
We must not call this assumption a _Divine work_. A chapter must not be
headed _demonstration_, but _hypothesis_. The earth must not be called a
_star_; the word implies motion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account