The German Hercules’s Heir: Pierre Gassendi’s Reception of Keplerian Ideas
2009; University of Pennsylvania Press; Volume: 70; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/jhi.0.0024
ISSN1086-3222
Autores Tópico(s)Historical Astronomy and Related Studies
ResumoPierre Gassendi is widely known as a reviver of Epicurean atomism. But he was also regarded as an accomplished astronomer by his contemporaries. Along with the life-long observational pursuits, Gassendi developed his theories of the causes underlying celestial motions. In elaborating them, he absorbed seveal ideas coming from the astronomy of Johannes Kepler. Moreover, Gassendi went further to incorporate some theological principles from the Keplerian cosmology, especially the idea that God is a Geometer. The present paper thus explores Kepler's influence on the philosophy of Gassendi in both astronomical and theological spheres.
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