The Fabric of The HeavensPDF电子书下载

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7

AUTHORS＇ FOREWORD 11

GENERAL INTRODUCTION：COSMOLOGY 15

Part Ⅰ：The Sources of the Old Order 25

1 CELESTIAL FORECASTING 27

The Sources 28

The Problems 31

The Background of the Problems 35

The Solution to the Problems 39

The Wider Issues 46

How the Babylonians Computed Conjunctions 55

2 THE INVENTION OF THEORY 58

The Sources 58

The Background 60

The Character of Greek Theory 65

The First Theories 72

From Ingredients to Axioms 77

Plato＇s Geometrical Astronomy 87

3 THE PREMATURE SYNTHESIS 98

Aristotle＇s Programme 99

Motion and Change 101

The Celestial Mechanism 114

The Size of the Earth＇s Sphere 122

4 DOUBTERS AND HERETICS 125

Patching up the Dynamics 127

Amending the Astronomy 129

Aristrachos＇s Heliocentric Theory 132

5 PHYSICS LOSES MOMENTUM 139

Four Questions 140

The Political Background to Late Greek Astronomy 142

The Scientific Background：The Retreat from Physics 144

The Scientific Background：An Acquisition 148

Ptolemy＇s Mathematical Astronomy 150

the Wider Revolt against Philosophy 157

Archimedes and the Circle 162

Part Ⅱ：The New Perspective and its Consequences 167

6 THE INTERREGNUM 169

The Roundabout Journey 169

The Medieval Revival 175

The Background to Copernicus 178

Medieval Arguments about the Moving Earth 182

Copernicus：His Aim and his Theory 187

Copernicus：His Achievement 193

7 PREPARING THE GROUND 200

The Background of the New Science 200

The Work of Tycho Brahe 202

Galileo＇s Telescopic Discoveries 208

Johann Kepler＇s Astronomical Physics 218

8 THE CREATION OF MECHANICS 230

The Change from Aristotle to Newton 231

Treating Motion Mathematically 233

Motion and Force 242

The New Ideal：Straight-Line Motion 247

9 THE NEW PICTURE TAKES SHAPE 250

The Man and his Task 251

Newton＇s Argument 255

The Character of Newton＇s Achievement 262

The Unity of Craft and Theory 268

10 THE WIDENING HORIZON 274

The Loose Ends：(1) Planetary Inequalities 274

The Loose Ends：(2) The Mechanism of Gravity 280

The Larger-Scale Picture 286

The Wider Influences of Newton 289

Certainty and Scientific Theory 294

INDEX 301