Where are Sunspots? The Practical Method of Galileo as an example of Mental Model
Where are Sunspots? The Practical Method of Galileo as an example of Mental Model
Author(s): Tadeusz SierotowiczSubject(s): Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Epistemology, Special Branches of Philosophy, Early Modern Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
Published by: Copernicus Center Press
Keywords: sunspots; Galileo’s practical method; mental models;early modern science;
Summary/Abstract: After the publication of Sidereus Nuncius, in the controversy with Ch. Scheiner, Galileo developed several arguments on behalf of the hypothesis that sunspots are contiguous to the surface of the Sun, and presented them in his Istoria e dimostrazioni intorno alle macchie solari e loro accidenti (Rome 1613). One of them, named by Galileo a Practical Method, advocates very clearly the correctness of the hypothesis. In the paper the method in question is briefly described. It is argued that the Practical Method is not a thought experiment, but rather a mental model proposed precisely in order to solve the problem of sunspots’ location.
Journal: Zagadnienia Filozoficzne w Nauce
- Issue Year: 2019
- Issue No: 66
- Page Range: 129-141
- Page Count: 18
- Language: English