I had to read Book XII of Aristotle’s Metaphysics for class today. The whole thing about the heavens moving in circles came up. Apparently, the Greeks used to think that the planets and heavenly sphere (all those stars) moved in circles. This continued well throughout the Middle Ages. It was interesting how Aristotle’s metaphysics dictated how circles were so divine. I mean, to put it crudely, he thought to move perpetually, you had to move in a circle. Yet the thing is, the Scholastics during the Middle Ages would’ve rejected the metaphysical parts of that whole thing because Aristotle rules out a singular creation event. Somehow, they still thought the circles made sense though.

From our modern view, the epicycles seem silly. However, I guess it’s better to impose some sort of way of understanding the motion rather than saying that the planets just randomly wander through the sky. I just don’t understand why the circles had to be so special.

Aristotle literally thought the heavens were divine. With religion in general, it’s interesting to see how religion tries to save itself by presenting literal myths as allegory. (Well, not everyone.) I mean, the Catholic church sanctions silly “miracles” in its process of creating saints. Sorry, I just think it’s all just as crude as those divine heavenly circles.

[NOTE: Bah, I don’t like the way I’m writing at all. I really should not write late at night and leave things completely unedited. However, it’s better to have some imperfect writing out there, than to have nothing out at all. I need to create a habit.]