Saving the phenomena

Saving the phenomena ( Greek  σῴζειν τὰ φαινόμενα sōzein ta phainómena "save the appearances", Latin salvāre apparentiās ) is the name of the Greek astronomical research program, which had the aim of saving the apparently irregular movements of the heavenly bodies (the phenomena ) , that is, of saving them to be explained with uniform circular movements and thus to be reconciled with the common ideas of philosophy about celestial mechanics, such as can be found in Plato's theory of ideas .

The formulation of the program and the name “ Salvation” of the phenomena were ascribed to Plato in antiquity, but probably come from Eudoxus of Knidos .

This program only found a final conclusion in modern times with the work of Nicolaus Copernicus , whose work De revolutionibus orbium coelestium ultimately prevailed the heliocentric worldview , and of Johannes Kepler , who recognized the movements of the heavenly bodies as elliptical and his results in the work Astronomia nova published.

literature

• Jürgen Mittelstraß (Hrsg.): Encyclopedia Philosophy and Philosophy of Science . JB Metzler, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 978-3476020123 .