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tags: #philosophy #physics #history-of-science

Aristotle's cosmology was a geocentric model of the universe that dominated Western thought for nearly 2,000 years. It placed a stationary Earth at the center, surrounded by a series of concentric crystalline spheres.

Key features:

• Geocentric: Earth is the unmoving center.
• Two Realms: A clear distinction between the "sublunary" (earthly) realm and the "superlunary" (celestial) realm.
  • The sublunary realm was imperfect, subject to change and decay, composed of four elements: earth, water, air, and fire.
  • The superlunary realm was perfect and eternal, composed of a fifth element, the "aether."
• Natural Motion: Objects sought their natural place. An apple fell because its nature was to return to the Earth.

This worldview provided a complete and intuitive, albeit incorrect, picture of the universe. It represents a monumental achievement in early Philosophy but would eventually be overturned by the scientific revolution, starting with discoveries like Copernicus's Heliocentric Model.

Reference

Coursera, "Question Reality: Matter"