Showing posts with label geocentric. Show all posts
Showing posts with label geocentric. Show all posts

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Geocentric

I enjoy debates, and debating, and I always enjoy trying to be a convincing devil's advocate. It is an interesting exercise, usually. This is the argument that I was just imagining:

What arguments for a geocentric universe might one be able to make today in a debate over heliocentric vs. a geocentric, particularly against a high-school student with a background similar to mine? If you can not prove your side right, it is acceptable to keep from being proven wrong.

original theory -> argument towards it being true.

crystal spheres -> who says that crystal is the substance, as supposed to a description thereof? Beyond that, there is something keeping the planets and stars from changing position too much. No reason you can't call it a series of crystal spheres, and no reason it would not seem like a set of complicated spheres/ 3D ovals.

revolve around the sun -> Have you ever seen the earth revolve around the sun? No? Then you are just basing your knowledge on things you have no proof of, and have never seen. You just trust what others are telling you, and that does not mean it's necessarily right. Point in case: witch burnings, sacrifices, every time the government has exploited the unwashed masses, etc. You say there are movies that exist, showing the earth rotating around the sun? Ignoring the fact that the sun would be too bright to look at, videos are easy enough to fake. First rule of Descartes' method: "don't take anything for true which you do not clearly know as such".

heaven -> ignoring all the arguments that it doesn't exist, there is no reason it might not simply be beyond the horizon. Since heaven is religious, and religion by definition can not be proven T/F, this topic will be left be.