Universal Natural History and Theory of Heaven
Encyclopedia
Universal Natural History and Theory of Heaven is a work written by Immanuel Kant
in 1755.
According to Kant, our solar system
is merely a smaller version of the fixed star
systems, such as the Milky Way
and other galaxies
. The cosmogony
Kant proposes in this book is closer to today's accepted ideas than that of some of his contemporary thinkers, such as Pierre-Simon Laplace
.
In his introduction to the English translation of Kant's book, Stanley Jaki
criticizes Kant for being a poor mathematician and downplays the relevance of his contribution to science. However, these criticisms are on the whole unfair, as they are blaming Kant for not knowing about twentieth-century developments.
Kant's book ends with an almost mystical expression of appreciation for nature: "In the universal silence of nature and in the calm of the senses the immortal spirit’s hidden faculty of knowledge speaks an ineffable language and gives [us] undeveloped concepts, which are indeed felt, but do not let themselves be described."
Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher from Königsberg , researching, lecturing and writing on philosophy and anthropology at the end of the 18th Century Enlightenment....
in 1755.
According to Kant, our solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
is merely a smaller version of the fixed star
Fixed star
The fixed stars are celestial objects that do not seem to move in relation to the other stars of the night sky. Hence, a fixed star is any star except for the Sun. A nebula or other starlike object may also be called a fixed star. People in many cultures have imagined that the stars form pictures...
systems, such as the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
and other galaxies
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
. The cosmogony
Cosmogony
Cosmogony, or cosmogeny, is any scientific theory concerning the coming into existence or origin of the universe, or about how reality came to be. The word comes from the Greek κοσμογονία , from κόσμος "cosmos, the world", and the root of γίνομαι / γέγονα "to be born, come about"...
Kant proposes in this book is closer to today's accepted ideas than that of some of his contemporary thinkers, such as Pierre-Simon Laplace
Pierre-Simon Laplace
Pierre-Simon, marquis de Laplace was a French mathematician and astronomer whose work was pivotal to the development of mathematical astronomy and statistics. He summarized and extended the work of his predecessors in his five volume Mécanique Céleste...
.
In his introduction to the English translation of Kant's book, Stanley Jaki
Stanley Jaki
Stanley L. Jaki, OSB was a Benedictine priest and Distinguished Professor of Physics at Seton Hall University, New Jersey since 1975...
criticizes Kant for being a poor mathematician and downplays the relevance of his contribution to science. However, these criticisms are on the whole unfair, as they are blaming Kant for not knowing about twentieth-century developments.
Kant's book ends with an almost mystical expression of appreciation for nature: "In the universal silence of nature and in the calm of the senses the immortal spirit’s hidden faculty of knowledge speaks an ineffable language and gives [us] undeveloped concepts, which are indeed felt, but do not let themselves be described."