Celestial Space

A summary of:
Wertheim, M. (1999). The Pearly Gates of Cyberspace: H5N1 History of Space from Dante to the Internet. Virago Press: London.
Chapter three - Celestial Space

Up till directly inwards Wertheim's historical arc, "natural scientific discipline was [in the words of Jeffrey Burton Russell] 'an inferior truth pointing to the greater truth, which [was] theological, moral, too fifty-fifty divine" (119). In other words, artists were concerned amongst discovering natural truths equally the telephone substitution insight into the Creator, equally "God's utterance or song" (119). And crucially, the ii were classify truths. That is, until to a greater extent than or less other artist, this fourth dimension Raphael, challenged this separation. In his Disputa, he used perspective to unite (albeit imperfectly) the heavenly realm amongst the physical realm (126).

This chapter also tells the tale of Cusa, the scientific thinker who concluded that "the universe has neither an outer boundary nor a center, since either would constitute an absolute" (129). This completely disoriented humanity. Without either, inwards this "unbounded space", how could nosotros empathize where nosotros were? How could nosotros constitute a hierarchy, if inwards this conception of the cosmos "all positions were equal" (129)?

Counter to our initial thinking close the implications of this revelation, Wertheim argues, "By shattering the heavenly spheres too breaking the medieval cosmic hierarchy, Cusa elevated the earth from the gutter of the cosmos too ste it inwards the domain of celestial nobility" (129-30); because, later on all, the geocentric organization located the earth at the "bottom of the cosmological scheme" (130).

This chapter also shows the means inwards which applied scientific discipline has functioned to enable the enhancement of our senses (which inwards plough reinforces their elevated condition equally receivers of the greatest 'truth'). The telescope gave us super-eyes. "If... perspectival imagery trained Western minds to run across amongst a 'virtual eyes,' the telescope extended our vitual gaze beyond the wildest imaginings of the Renaissance painters," i.e. into a infinite nosotros "know exclusively through 'virtual eyes'" (142). Wertheimer identifies to a greater extent than or less other parallel amongst cyberspace: "Both other infinite too cyberspace are mediated spaces that nosotros run across through a technological filter. And simply equally today nosotros are get-go to teach a sense of the potential vastness of cyberspace, so also Europeans of the seventeenth century were simply get-go to teach a sense of the potential vastness of the novel infinite they were discovering at the other cease of their optick tubes" (142).

We possess got to realize that earlier this guess hollo for inwards history, humans did non possess got to grapple amongst the notion of infinite space. How has this thought affected us?

Another interesting hollo for made inwards this chapter is that piece many of the thinkers nosotros associate amongst cold, rational, scientific thought were inwards fact motivated past times theology; too it is the unintended resultant of the acceptance, appropriation, too farther development of these ideas that gave nascence to the godless conception of the world; to the materialist vision where "man stood non at the catch of an angel-filled cosmos amongst everything connected to God, but on a large lump of stone revolving purposelessly inwards an infinite Euclidian void" (149). One representative is Descartes, who theologized infinite infinite "and justified this hitherto abominable concept past times associating it amongst God" (144). And surprisingly, Newton did similarly: "More so fifty-fifty than his predecessors, Newton justified his vision of infinite on theological grounds. Space, equally he famously set it, was God's 'sensorium' - the medium through which the deity exercised His all-seeing oculus too His all-encompassing power. For Newton, the presence of God inside the universe was indeed guaranteed by the presence of space. And because inwards his persuasion God was everywhere, then infinite must also last everywhere - too thus infinite" (148).

I am intrigued past times this sensorium concept. This is easier to convey for natural creations. But I imagine that many people uncovering it to a greater extent than hard to run across the sensorium inwards man-made creations such equally the Internet. Now beingness able to do our ain infinite space, possess got nosotros made God redundant equally creator? Where does God correspond into the modern populace if He is no longer needed equally the creative forcefulness inwards the universe? Yicks.

The implication of the notion of physical infinite extending into infinity is that it left no "room" for "any sort of spiritual space" (150). Wertheim quotes Edwin Burtt: "The natural populace was [now] portrayed equally a vast, self-contained mathematical machine, consisting of motions of thing inwards infinite too time, too homo amongst his purposes, feelings, too secondary qualities was shoved apart equally an unimportant spectator too semi-real effect of the keen mathematical drama outside" (152).

Wertheim emphases the uniquely Western nature of the ensuing psychological crisis this created. "The ground nosotros lost our spiritual space, equally it were, is because nosotros had linked it to celestial space. We had 'located' it, metaphorically speaking, upwards in that place beyond the stars" (150). She points out that in that place are other cultures (we mightiness telephone telephone them 'primative') which locate the spiritual inwards dreams or "in the mythical past times that remains interlinked amongst the present" (150).

This would advise to a greater extent than or less other potential springboard for radical technological innovation: nosotros possess got to reconceive of the place of the soul, because equally it is located inwards the physical, it volition stay forever homeless.