In the Midst of Science, Philosophy and Religion
Open Access DepositedA Study of Muḥammad Karīm Khān Kirmānī’s Treatise on Refutation of Heliocentrism
This study examines the reception of heliocentric astronomy in 19th century Persia by the mystico-theological school of Shaykhiyya. In 1269/1853, the leader of the school, Muḥammad Karīm Khān Kirmānī (d. 1288/1871), composed a treatise to refute heliocentrism and present the school’s cosmology and natural philosophy. The treatise contains ideas such as a theory of repulsion (al-dāfiʿa) of the heavens, an interia-like theory of motion, an epistemological critique of Western science, and various philosophical and cosmological arguments against heliocentrism. Experiments intended to prove the Earth’s motion such as Foucault’s pendulum and free-falling bodies are also discussed, as well as the Cartesian and Newtonian explanations for the motion of the planets. In the present work, we begin with introducing the history of the debate on the place of the Sun and the Earth in Islamic cosmology and astronomy, and then we look at the cosmology and natural philosophy presented in Kirmānī's treatise, along with the author’s arguments against heliocentrism.
- All rights reserved
Notice to Authors
If you are the author of this work and you have any questions about the information on this page, please use the Contact form to get in touch with us.