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Interesting stuff for philosophy of nature

Today I'm skimming Physics and Philosophy, by James A. McWilliams, S. J.  (1945).  It seems that Aquinas mentions in lecture 28 of his commentary on Book VIII of the Physics that the outermost or near-outermost sphere rotated every 36,000 years.  McWilliams indirectly quotes St. Thomas as saying that the "very celestial pole itself, centered near the North Star, describes an [page3/page4] orbit every '36,000 years.' Although the present calculation is nearer to 26,000, it is enlightening to learn that St. Thomas was aware of the phenomenon."  Aquinas's own commentary makes it clear that this sphere is supposed to be the one with the stars embedded on it.  Okay.  But why does the author say on page 5 that the actual time of rotation 25,800 years?


Comments

Leo White said…
It's lecture 23, not 28.
10:49 AM
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