Some of you are still writing book reports
instead of writing a reflective essay according
to the prompts.
Many Essays did not properly address
prompt B as a logical extension of the your
prompt A response.
Again, re-read your essay to check if you have
adequately responded to the prompts
Prompt A
• This can be done in a straightforward manner:
Aristotle: = the universe is ordered and operated by a small number
of principles (air, earth, fire,water)
Descartes: = 5 or 6 principles
Kepler: = 3 laws (which show harmony)
Newton: = 3 Laws so that natural philosophy becomes math
All of this work mostly re-affirms the idea that nature is
ordered, “simple” and mechanical.
So, no revolution has occurred  randomness and
uncertainty are not part of the cultural world view
The development of more advanced tools that can take more
accurate measurements and uncover new phenomena do not force a
scientific revolution.
Prompt B
• Descartes (and to some extent Newton) outline a process
for obtaining explanations (e.g. the Truth).
• Removal of doubt, exactness of expressions
• Kant argues that there is no structure in Nature but that
structure is found in the ordered mind; mathematics is the
best manifestation of this ordered structure
• Using the path of Reason then let’s this structure take
hold, and all is explainable – hence the world is intelligible
to the rational man
Not Relevant
• Scientists like Cusa and Bruno are not very relevant to the
prompt. Their work about relative positions is only
tangential to what is being asked.
• Copernicus is only relevant if you talk about him in the
context that circular orbits (nested circular epicycles)
reaffirm order.
• Galileo and Tyco are the least relevant – although they do
show that the Universe is not perfect or changeless – but
the prompts are not asking about this
A common idea/mistake
The underlying assumption of an ordered universe still drove
scientists to try new methods to discover phenomena with
greater levels of certainty

This idea was used by many but its really
backwards. Science done during this time was not
driven by anything except a desire to better
explore nature (with better instruments or
techniques). The result of that exploration was the
strong affirmation of ORDER!
Themes


A well constructed essay (and there were about ½ a
dozen) should make use of accumulating evidence to
synthesize points that are consistent with the
prompts. For instance, what the accumulating
evidence is there for order, simplification,
experimentation, accuracy and doubt throughout this
historical period?
Note also – the universe can be ordered without the
need for a diving being, despite what Luther says
Themes 2
 Interesting Kant interpretation from plato. stanford.edu
He (Kant) thus sought to locate the concept of God within
a systematically ordered set of basic philosophical
principles that account for the order and structure of
world (this is similar to Descarte's view)
 Remember, perfection in terms of perfect circles
exists in the ancient world, Aristotle, and
continues through Copernicus. It is Kepler who
empirically shows this is not the case. The use of
math gives the perception of perfect and precise
and the Clockwork Universe is best manifest as
Kepler's Third Law (left out by most of you)