Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Christian scientists and thinkers in the Middle Ages

Make me a similar list of Moslems.....

by Ferdinand III

In 'God's Philosophers', James Hannam lists by my count, about 111 Catholic Medieval scientists who during the 'Middle Ages', prepared the way for modern science and technology. The most ardent Moslemophile screeching that Islam created the modern world, might be able to name 5 Moslems during the same period [including the usual tired, disreputable names of Averroes etc. yawn, boring]; who impacted the European scientific mind. For the big-brains, a handful of Moslems who might have slightly amended or added to Greek thought; is certainly more important to modernity, than the dozens of European Christians who actually invented it. That is why they are so clever – whatever reality proves, believe the opposite. 50 men from Hannam's list are below.

	Name	Era	Claim to Fame
1	Abelard, Peter	1079-1142	Logician, mathematician
2	Adelard of Bath	1080-1160	Translated Arabic texts on Mathematics
3	Albert, the Great	1200-1280	Natural philosopher and scientist who taught Aquinas.
4	Alcuin of York	735-804	Polymath and Minister of education under Charlemagne
5	Alderotti, Taddeo	1223-1295	Pioneer of learned medicine in Bologna.
6	St. Anselm, Canterbury	1033-1109	Combined faith with reason in his ontological works that God exists.
7	Aquinas, St. Thomas	1225-74	Combined Greek philosophy with Catholic doctrine.
8	Bacon, Roger	1214-92	Expert on lights and optics and wrote many volumes on reforming natural philosophy.
9	Boethius	480-525	Christian Roman philosopher who wrote textbooks on science and philosophy.
10	Bradwardine, Thomas	1290-1349	Merton College Oxford mathematician.
11	Brahe, Tycho	1546-1601	Danish Catholic astronomer renowned for accuracy and mathematical proof.
12	Brunelleschi, Filippo	1377-1446	Architect and artist who designed the dome of Florence's cathedral and developed mathematical means of perspective-use in painting.
13	Buridan, John	1300-1358	University of Paris philosopher who developed impetus theory and how the earth rotated.
14	Cardan, Jerome	1501-1576	Doctor, mathematician, astrologist and inventor.
15	Chaucer, Geoffrey	1343-1400	Wrote scientific treatise on the astrolabe.
16	Copernicus, Nicholas	1473-1543	Polish canon who developed using higher math, heliocentricity.
17	D'Ailly, Pierre	1350-1420	Cardinal in Paris, wrote works on geography and calculated using new math techniques the earth's circumference. Inspired Columbus.
18	Domingo de Soto	1494-1560	Dominican friar who textbooks on Physics were the first accurate statement of the law of free-fall.
19	Duns Scotus	1263-1308	Carried forward the faith through reason theology of Aquinas.
20	Fallopio, Gabriele	1523-62	Anatomist and the first one to identify the fallopian tubes.
21	Frederick II	1194-1250	Wrote a treatise on bird flight and patronized science.
22	Galileo	1564-1642	Synthesized and discovered many aspects of motion, gravity and natural physical laws.
23	Gerbert, or Pope Sylvester II	940-1003	Pope and scholar who introduced Hindu/Arabic numerals into Europe.
24	Grassi, Horatio	1583-1654	Jesuit scholar who argued with Galileo over comets.
25	Grosseteste, Robert	1170-1253	Bishop of Lincoln who wrote on optics and natural philosophy.
26	Harvey, William	1578-1657	Discovered the function of the heart and circulation of the blood.
27	Heytesbury, William	1313-73	Merton College Oxford mathematician who was the first to propose the mean speed theory.
28	John XXI	1215-77	Pope who wrote textbooks on logic and medicine.
29	Jordanus de Nemore	1225-1260	Mathematician who studied the science of statistics and solved the inclined plane problem.
30	Kepler, Johannes	1571-1630	Astronomer who used higher math to identify the real shape of the solar system.
31	Kilwardy, Robert	d. 1279	Archbishop of Canterbury who categorized and organized the sciences.
32	Mondino dei Luzzi	d.1326	Pioneer of human dissection.
33	Nicholas of Autrecourt	1300-69	Theologican who advanced ideas of atoms and atomicity.
34	Nicholas of Cusa	1400-1464	Theologian who used math to speculate on an expanding universe and life on other planets.
35	Oresme, Nicholas	1325-82	Student of Buridan who used graphs to resolve and model physical problems.
36	Paracelscus	1493-1541	Doctor who reformed medicine along occult and alchemical lines.
37	Partizi, Francisco	1529-1597	Platonic philosopher who believed in the earth's rotation and in vacuums.
38	Peckham, John	d.1292	Archbishop of Canterbury who wrote on optics.
39	Peter the Pilgrim	1269	Created the study of magnets and magnetism.
40	Philoponus, John	490-570	Christian neo-platonist who thoroughly discredited much of Aristotelian theology.
41	Ragimold and Radolf	11c.	Friends who wrote works and letters on advanced geometry.
42	Richard of Wallingford	1292-1336	Abbot of St. Albans monastery, invented new astronomical instruments and clocks.
43	Sacrobosco, John	d.1256	Wrote popular university-level books on math and astronomy.
44	Servetus	1511-53	Discovered the purpose of the pulmonary artery, burnt at the stake in Geneva by Calvin.
45	Stevin, Simon	1548-1620	Conducted experiments proving that heavy and light objects fall at the same speed.
46	Swineshead, Richard	1340-55	Merton College mathematician who developed higher mathematical concepts and theorems.
47	Tartaglia	1499-1577	Mathematician who solved cubic equations and published the works of Archimedes.
48	Vesalius	1514-1564	Anatomist who disproved much of Galen's work.
49	Ockham, William	1287-1347	Franciscan who developed various rules around logic and probability.
50	Witelo	1250-75	Wrote largest treatise of his time on optics and inspired Kepler.

Phd thesis: Make a similar list of Moslem geniuses and innovators....

Given the names above the 'middle ages' must surely have a been a terribly dark and horrendous time of stunted intellects and knuckle-dragging sack clothe wearing morons....unlike today of course with the cults of reality-tv, globaloneywarming, gay, Islam-is-Peace and the state. The poorly named Enlightenment was of course built on the advances from the Middle Ages, Voltaire, his insanity and his ego notwithstanding. And the above list of names is only a very partial compendium of what could be identified.

Buried in European vaults and libraries are literally tonnes of Latin documents from the Middle Ages – but who reads Latin anymore ? Early vulgate language treatises also reside in their collective dust, unused, unread, unknown and in vast quantity. But why bother to read those ? Who needs to do real work these days ? Surely we only need to listen to uninformed bigots like Gibbon or Diderot, who never investigated, understood, nor had any intimate knowledge of the 'middle ages'. Much easier to let others do the thinking for us, especially if they only confirm our prejudices and ignorance.