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Tycho Brahe and the Separation of Astronomy from Astrology: The Making of a New Scientific Discourse

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2013

Gábor Almási
Gábor Almási*
Affiliation:
Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest E-mail: almasi.gabor@gmail.com
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Argument

The subject of the paper is the shift from an astrology-oriented astronomy towards an allegedly more objective, mathematically grounded approach to astronomy. This shift is illustrated through a close reading of Tycho Brahe's scientific development and the contemporaneous changes in his communicational strategies. Basing the argument on a substantial array of original sources it is claimed that the Danish astronomer developed a new astronomical discourse in pursuit of credibility, giving priority to observational astronomy and natural philosophical questions. The abandonment of astrology in public discourse is primarily explained by Tycho's social position and greater sensibility to controversial issues. Tycho's example suggests that the changes in rhetorical strategies regarding astrology (which happened earlier than changes in astrological belief) should be given more recognition in the history of astronomy.

Type
Research Article
Information
Science in Context , Volume 26 , Issue 1 , March 2013 , pp. 3 - 30
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013

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