Kuhn Chapter 1
1. What, according to Kuhn, is the main difference between Greek and Egyptian cosmology? What were the two cosmologies and, fundamentally, what was their most important difference? What do the Greeks emphasize that Egyptians don’t?
(150-250 words; 10 points)
2. Define the following 3 terms based on the reading [Please don’t Google these and copy paste definitions, lots have tried….explain in your own words based on the reading]
(2-3 sentences each; 15 points [5 each])
a. North celestial pole
b. Circumpolar stars
c. Ecliptic
3. Ancient Greeks believed the cosmos was made up of two spheres. What where these two spheres? What did each contain? What was each of them made of? How did they interact or relate to one another? (see p. 25-33) (200-300 words; include at least 2 short quotes from the text with page numbers; 10 points)
Kuhn Chapter 2
4. For ancient thinkers, retrograde motion was a major theoretical problem. Yet, Kuhn says some ancient thinkers did try to offer a solution (see pp. 55-70). One was “the theory of homocentric spheres” (embraced by Eudoxus). Explain this theory and its benefits and drawbacks. (200-300 words; include at least 3 shorts quotes from the text with page numbers; 15 points)
5. The other theory designed to explain retrograde motion was the theory of “deferents and epicycles” (embraced by Apollonius and Hipparchus). Explain this theory and its benefits and drawback. Explain in your own words what an epicycle is and what it allowed ancient astronomers to explain. Keep in mind the difference between “major” and “minor” epicycles. (200-300 words; include at least 3 shorts quotes from the text with page numbers; 15 points)
Kuhn Chapter 3
6. Aristotle did not believe vacuums could exist in nature. Why not? And what evidence/arguments did he use to support his claim that there can be no vacuums in nature? (100-200 words; 10 points)
Al Sabra
7. In Section II of his essay, Al Sabra talks about and rejects what he calls “the marginality thesis”. What is this thesis? And what is his criticism of it? (200-300 words; you must include at least 3 quotes with page numbers; 15 points)
Kuhn, Ch 4
8. According to Kuhn, Medieval thinkers (the “Scholastics”) make two important critiques of Aristotle’s cosmology that paved the way for the Copernican Revolution. One of these critiques was the theory of impetus. Who defended this theory? What is impetus? What problem did this notion try solve? (200-300 words; 10 points)
