ENSCI 1100 Science, Technology and Society

7.3. Learning Task 3.1: Before the Scientific Revolution

In this learning task, you will learn about what the society was accepting as "truth" about the
universe before the scientific revolution. Visit this webpage:
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/astronomy/chapter/ancient-astronomy/.
The material contains a lot of information. However, you must focus on learning about the
accepted model of the solar system at the time. Read the sections on "Early Greek and Roman
Cosmology" to find out what the Greeks (including Aristotle) thought about the position of the Earth
relative to other heavenly bodies. Proceed to the section on "Ptolemy's Model of the Solar System."
After reading the sections, write an essay (250-300 words) describing the ancient idea about the
position of the earth relative to the other heavenly bodies. Explain why it was reasonable for them to
believe that the earth was the center of the universe

Before the invention of telescopes, ancients is depending on the simple evidences of their
senses for a picture of the universe. Thus, the geocentric model was formed which states that the
earth is the center of the universe, and every other celestial body (moon, planets and sun) rotates
around the earth. The origin of the geocentric model is obvious; it is the elementary naked eye
observation of the movement of the objects in the sky. The path of an object in the sky always
seems to be in the same vicinity and repeatedly it rises from east and sets from west
approximately at the same points on the horizon. Also, the earth always seems to be stationary or
motionless and still. Therefore, the closest conclusion is that these objects move in circles around
the earth. Furthermore, it was known as the most predominant theory of the structure of the
universe in the ancient world before heliocentric. Ancient believed the earth is the center of the
universe because simple observation seems to confirm it. Ancient people looked at the sky and
saw the stars revolve around them, the sun rose in the east and set in the west. Therefore it was
travelling around us, the same with the moon. It was reinforced by religious texts that said God
created things that way.