The period, which is now known Renaissance, is associated with the names of various painters, thinkers, sculptors, and scientists who contributed to the development of arts and the growth of scientific knowledge. Nicholas of Cusa, who is also known as Casunus, can also be viewed as a prominent representative of Renaissance humanism (Koetsier 270). This paper is aimed at discussing the implications of his works for the scientific community. Much attention should be paid to the ideas that he expressed about astronomy. One can argue that many of his ideas could go unnoticed by his contemporaries.
In many cases, his conjectures were not based on empirical evidence. This is one of the main aspects that can be singled out. However, his ideas proved to be insightful and far-reaching. They played an important role for scientists who studied physics, cosmology, and mathematics. His hypotheses were confirmed only in later centuries. This is one of the main aspects that can be identified. The discussion of these questions is important for understanding the development of science during the Renaissance.
First, it should be noted that Nicholas of Cusa took an interest in various areas of study. For instance, one can mention theology, mathematics, philosophy, astronomy, and jurisprudence. One can argue that he was a very many-sided person who did not focus only on one narrow task. During his lifetime, he worked on various problems. Some of them attracted the attention of mathematicians during the following centuries. For instance, he was interested in such a task as squaring the circle (Koetsier 270). Nicholas of Cusa tried to continue the work of numerous ancient geometers such as Pythagoras or Euclid. Only in the nineteenth century, mathematicians demonstrated that this problem was impossible to resolve. However, the work of Nicholas of Cusa proved to be very influential because it inspired many people who were interested in geometry.
This is why his scientific activities should not be underestimated. Apart from that, this thinker made an important contribution to medical science. For instance, he suggested that the pulse rate could be an important measurement of a person’s health (Reiser 96). He believed that the water clock could be used to measure this rate (Reiser, 96). At present, this idea seems to be almost self-evident to medical workers. However, in the fifteenth century, this recommendation could be regarded as a significant breakthrough. It should be taken into account that the thoughts of Cusanus were rediscovered only during later periods when scientists elaborated on their research methods. In turn, in the fifteenth century, this suggestion was not readily accepted by others, especially physicians. This is one of the main issues that should be taken into account.
It should also be mentioned that Casunus proved to be an influential inventor. In particular, he is credited with the invention of a hygrometer, which could measure the quantity of water in the air (Rezende 81). Certainly, in the course of history, this device has been modified for a great number of times. Conventional hygrometers bear virtually no resemblance to the invention of Casunus. They are much more accurate (Rezende, 81). However, his work set the stage for these innovations. Therefore, one can say that he made various achievements in the field of experimental science.
To a great extent, he was far ahead of his time. He influenced the work of scientists who represented later generations. However, the value of his invention was not recognized by other people. This is why it is difficult to speak about some immediate effects of his work.
Nevertheless, the most important contributions of Cusanus are related to astronomy. In the fifteenth century, this field of knowledge was not developed. Moreover, it was not known whether various astronomic phenomena could be properly examined. This is one of the main difficulties that scholars had to overcome. Those people who studied this subject relied on intuition, rather than the scientific method.
In many cases, they lacked equipment and methodology that could help them produce schematically rigorous results. This issue should not be overlooked because many of Cusanus’ views were not backed up by specific evidence. Even now, the historians of science do not know how exactly he came to these conclusions (Belitto 398). This is one of the main issues that can be singled out. For instance, he postulated that the universe does not have any fixed limits (Rezende 81). At that time, this belief was not shared by other astronomers (Belitto, 398). They did not even try to present any model of the universe. One can argue that this question continues to be of great interest to modern physicists, especially those who study cosmology.
Additionally, he argued that the Earth is in a state of continuous motion (Rezende 81). Moreover, he noted that other heavenly bodies were also acting in this way. One of his most important arguments is that the movement of heavenly bodies is always relative to the observer (North 268). So, one can say that he made many conceptual contributions to the field of astronomy. Certainly, Cusanus did not formulate specific laws that could be expressed with the help of mathematical formulas. Yet, his works prompted other astronomers to examine the universe from a different perspective. This is why his contributions had profound implications for other scientists. This is probably the main role that Cusanus played.
It should be born in mind that in the fifteenth century, many people believed that the Earth was the main center of the universe. This belief was popular among people who did not separate science from theology (Rezende 81). In turn, Nicholas of Cusa rejected this idea (Rezende 81). In his opinion, such a worldview did not reflect the complexity of the universe (Rezende 81). In his view, there was no reason to speak about the so-called center of the universe. It should be borne in mind that in the fifteenth century, a person could face severe prosecution only for expressing such ideas. Overall, this hypothesis is closely connected with the concept of an infinite universe. His main argument is that infinite space cannot have any center. This is one of the main points that Nicholas of Cusa tried to make. His thoughts were of great relevance to people like Galileo and Copernicus. Furthermore, the spatial aspects of the universe continue to be examined by cosmologists. This is one of the details that should not be disregarded. These examples indicate that Renaissance scientists made far-reaching contributions that later benefited other researchers who lived in the sixteenth century.
When speaking about the conjectures of Cusanus, one should also examine his thoughts about the shape of celestial bodies and their orbits. For instance, he believed that the movement of planets was not circular (Belitto 398). His beliefs ran against this assumption, which was widespread among his contemporaries and later generations of astronomers who had been convinced that the movement of heavenly bodies was circular (Belitto 398). Moreover, Nicholas of Cusa argued that the shape of the Earth is not purely spherical. Again, one should mention that he did not try to substantiate his conjectures. This is one of the reasons why many historians of science speak about the intuition of this thinker. However, Cusanus’ opinions became very important at the time when Kepler was studying the motion of celestial bodies. Thus, it is possible to argue that Cusanus paved the way for other researchers.
Additionally, Cusanus played an important role in the popularization of astronomy as well as mathematics. In his opinion, these sciences had to be considered as the branches of philosophy. This issue should also be taken into account because his writings could have affected the attitudes of many people toward this science. For a long time, the importance of this science could be underestimated by scholars who focused mostly on theology. In their opinion, there was no need to explain the mechanisms that governed natural phenomena. This is one of the reasons why these societies could not make significant breakthroughs in technology, medicine, navigation, or other areas that were relevant to the life of people. The efforts of people like Nicholas of Cusa dramatically changed the situation. To a great extent, his efforts contributed to the rapid growth of scientific knowledge in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
It is important to remember that Nicholas of Cusa drew connections between astronomy and theology. In his opinion, this science reflected the perfection of God (Belitto, 398). He believed that these worldviews were quite compatible with one another. This is one of the reasons why he took an interest in astronomy, mathematics, or other scientific branches. Nevertheless, such a worldview was not unique; other important scientists of the Renaissance period did not separate science from theology. This is one of the main points that should be considered when discussing the importance of Cusanus. He demonstrated that the study of the astronomical phenomenon did not necessarily undermine the faith of a person.
This discussion indicates that Nicholas of Cusa can be viewed as a person who expressed many influential ideas that later played a vital role for the most prominent scientists such as Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, or Newton. Admittedly, his work cannot meet the standards that are set for modern scientists. They have to substantiate their findings empirically or logically. In contrast, Cusanus did not substantiate his conjectures. This is one of the main distinctions that should be kept in mind.
Nevertheless, this limitation does not undermine the achievements that Cusanus made. First of all, he was able to popularize many scientists. Secondly, he expressed many of the revolutionary ideas about the movement of celestial bodies and spatial aspects of the universe. Moreover, he achieved significant results in such fields as medicine and experimental science. Admittedly, nowadays, his views may not be viewed as revolutionary or insightful. However, they significantly contributed to the scientific progress during the Renaissance. This is the main argument that can be put forward.
Works Cited
Belitto, Chirstopher. Introducing Nicholas of Cusa: A Guide to a Renaissance Man, Boston: Paulist Press, 2004. Print.
Koetsier, Teun. Mathematics and the Divine: A Historical Study, Elsevier, 2004. Print.
North, John. Cosmos: An Illustrated History of Astronomy and Cosmology, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008. Print.
Reiser, Stanley. Medicine and the Reign of Technology, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981. Print.
Rezende, Lisa. Chronology of Science, New York: Infobase Publishing, 2006. Print.