geocentrism

Ptolemaic worldview's core

Geocentrism is the belief that Earth sits at the center of the universe, with the sun, moon, planets, and stars revolving around it.

This was the dominant cosmological model from antiquity through the Renaissance, until Copernican heliocentrism displaced it.

The term now often carries dismissive connotations, suggesting outdated or self-centered thinking: His geocentrism extended to believing the whole office revolved around him.

Ptolemaic

epicycles

Orbits within orbits

celestial spheresAncient cosmos's rotating layers
retrograde motionApparent reverse orbital path
firmamentThe arching sky above

heavens · quintessence · aether · deferent · armillary sphere · zodiac · ecliptic

cosmological

universe

Complete system or domain

cosmosOrderly totality of existence
celestialOf the sky above
planetaryOf or relating to worlds

orbits · spheres · astronomy · worldview · cosmography · heavenly bodies · terrestrial

historical

Aristotle

Greek founder of formal logic

PtolemyGreco-Egyptian astronomer, geographer
ancientVery old indeed
medievalOf the Middle Ages

obsolete · superseded · classical · antiquated · Roman · Byzantine · transmitted · preserved · Latin translation · Renaissance

theological

church

Place of Christian worship

scholasticismRigorous dialectical learning method
dogmaUnchallengeable official beliefs
orthodoxyAdherence to accepted beliefs

heresy · scripture · Aquinas · Genesis · creation · divine order · Inquisition · recantation · Index · papal

refutation

Copernicus

Renaissance astronomer, heliocentrism

GalileoRenaissance astronomer from Italy
KeplerPlanetary motion law formulator
parallaxPosition change from different vantages

telescope · observation · disproven · paradigm shift · scientific revolution · evidence · aberration · Foucault pendulum

geocentrism

epicycles

universe

Aristotle

church

Copernicus

geocentrism

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