Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
Copernicus Personal Life and Discovery
Copernicus discovery of the heliocentric solar system was made possible by a number of factors. Key among these factors is the personal aspects of Copernicus and his personal life. The personal life influenced the discovery of the heliocentric solar system by promoting the characters that shaped the development of the theory and writing of books about the solar system. In addition, the personal life provided the experiences that drove the direction of his knowledge and character towards the study of the solar system. The discussion about the life of Copernicus will comment on how his personal life made the discovery of the heliocentric solar system possible.
Copernicus had the human desire to discover how the world existed and explain how he felt the world was organized. The main drive of Copernicus towards the discovery of the heliocentric solar system was the personal desire to demystify the contemporary belief of the world. As a result of this character, Copernicus kept a life of commitment towards the desire to explain the universe by mystifying the contemporaries (Koestler 1). The personal desire is seen in the dedication he had to explain the heliocentric solar system and write a book on the same. While the book came to be during his death, it marked the personal dedication of Copernicus towards his beliefs.
Adoption of a curious character was a personal aspect of Copernicus that made the heliocentric solar system possible. He had an inquisitive character that made him question the existence of the universe, understand the theories that had been set forth, and criticize them appropriately. The explanation of the system was not just a mere guesswork, but a result of a curious feature in his character (Koestler 1). The time he took to write the book and publish it attests to the critical nature of his curious character. This was the character that drove the commitment to unravel the mystery of the universal system. This character opened the way for the adoption of the drive to discover the heliocentric solar system and describe the discovery in his book.
The early life of Copernicus was influenced by his uncle, Lucas, who took care of the siblings after the death of the Copernicus’ father (Koestler 1). Through the upbringing by the uncle, Copernicus learned the feature of believing in what other people did not, and ability to stick to his opinion, just as his uncle Lucas was. The dedicated nature of Copernicus’s personal life was as a result of the influence of his caretaker uncle Bishop. The strong foundation that he got from the upbringing by Lucas opened him to the world and association with the people that shaped his life. He was also exposed to education through the guidance of his bishop uncle, which led to the learning of science and mathematics.
The education that Copernicus acquired made all the difference in the process of discovering the heliocentric solar system. His education at Cracow University to study mathematics and optics was further combined with his study of canon law at Bologna. The education exposed him to the views by the previous thinkers and geographers like the famous Ptolemy. The education developed his perspective about the universe, and sharpened his perception and observation that discovered the heliocentric solar system. The discovery was as a result of his individual work that did not involve any consultation to anyone and relied on his personal character and knowledge. The lone work was because of the controversial nature of his discovery and the potential of the theory to challenge the church believes.
At the same time, friends and people who associated themselves with Copernicus also made it possible for his discovery and book to happen. The personal life with other people created the right environment for his critical assessment of the world, and the solar system. After writing his book, the Copernicus was hesitant to publish it, may be because of the doubt about the contents of the theory. However, his friends kept a keen interest in his publication, and supported the idea that he should publish the book. One of the friends was George Rheticus, who helped with the printing and the Bishop of Kulm, Tiedemann Giese (Koestler 1). According to the accounts, Giese helped in the distribution the book to the people he thought were of interest (Koestler 1). This contribution may not have made a direct impact to the discovery of the solar system, but gave the environment that inspired Copernicus to follow his passion.
The personal life of Copernicus had a significant contribution to the discovery of the heliocentric solar system. The personal life at home and growing with his brother Andreas under the care of Bishop Lucas shaped his character towards believing the non-contemporary and critically understanding the universe. His education opened him to knowledge of the universe and the cultivation of an inquisitive character. In addition, the personal life with friends facilitated not the discovery, but the publication and distribution of the book that theorized the heliocentric solar system. This way, the personal life of Copernicus made his discovery of the heliocentric solar system possible.
Work Cited
Koestler, Arthur. The Life of Copernicus. Reading Provided