Copernicus Minor Astronomical Writings

Abstract

The earth is a planet in motion. This basic truth was proclaimed and rationally elaborated, for the first time in mankind’s long history, by the little treatise commonly called Copernicus’ Commentariolus. That title was not bestowed on it by him. In fact, he did not give it any title. Nor did he attach his name to it. He had good reason to conceal his authorship. Since the earth is a planet, it is in heaven along with the other planets. Since the earth is in heaven, the old distinction between earth and heaven is dissolved. Nobody on earth has to wait for death in order to go to heaven. Every human being is already in heaven at the instant of birth. The familiar exhortation to lead a moral life in order to ascend to heaven is bound to sound silly to anyone who understands the theological implications of the Copernican astronomy and wants to lead a moral life for secular reasons.