January 16, 2024
Galilean Science
Until the 17th century, science, in the sense that we attribute to this term, did not exist. Aristotelian (or Arab, Indian, or Chinese) theories were simple rationalizations of common experience. If an object fell downward or a plant bore fruit, it was said to be its nature (or form). Only from Galileo onward, and only in the Western world, did we begin to understand the causes of phenomena and realize with astonishment that what often appears is the opposite of what happens. It is the Earth that moves and not the sun; objects do not fall downward; air has weight, etc.