Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 371

371. Stagnation – Movement in Stillness (5)

In the ensuing debate, the first to concede were those who insisted on a “flat-Earth theory.”

Those who had recently joined the institute, along with a group of alchemists, argued for the “flat-Earth theory.”

“Since ancient times, it has been said that ‘heaven is round and earth is square.’ Surely, this world is flat, is it not?”

Yi Sun-ji stepped forward to refute their claims.

“Do you not remember the words of Zengzi recorded in the ‘Da Dai Liji’ [Records of Rituals]? Or perhaps, have you not read it yet?”

“That is…”

“Good heavens…”

Shaking his head, Yi Sun-ji continued as if lecturing them.

“The Da Dai Liji states, ‘If heaven is truly round and earth is square, then heaven cannot cover the four corners of the earth.’ (Note 1) And hasn’t the Hun Tian theory [ancient Chinese astronomical model] already emerged in the Later Han dynasty?”

“That is…”

“Why else would the armillary sphere [a model of celestial objects] be named Hun Tian Yi?”

“But doesn’t the Hun Tian theory also state that the earth is flat?”

At the researcher’s point arguing for the flat-Earth theory, Yi Sun-ji briefly went outside and brought back dozens of books.

“These are the records we made when we first climbed the Baekdu Mountain range for astronomical observation. We confirmed it by observing the horizon of the East Sea drawing an arc, and to be sure, we recorded solar and lunar eclipses, examining their shapes.”

Faced with Yi Sun-ji’s rebuttal, the mouths of the Joseon researchers were shut, but the alchemist Marcos countered.

“The ancient Greek philosopher Thales said that this world is like a round shield.”

Angelo opposed Marcos’s statement.

“Thales? Have you forgotten that the great Aristotle refuted that theory? What about the illustrious Pythagoras? Haven’t those great men already proven that the Earth is a sphere?”

“That’s not empirical evidence!”

“Empirical evidence? Eratosthenes already calculated the Earth’s diameter! Shouldn’t that be considered empirical evidence?”

After the continued debate, Hyang intervened.

“Then why don’t we verify it empirically?”

“Pardon?”

Thus, the empirical verification began. The verification was simply a review of the accumulated data—observations of the horizon from high mountains for astronomical observation, observation data secured during civil engineering projects like road construction, etc. However, the researchers debated and calculated fiercely. And as a result, a conclusion was reached.

“This world is a sphere!”

* * *

As those who insisted on the ‘flat-Earth theory’ conceded, now the battle between the ‘geocentric theory’ faction and the ‘heliocentric theory’ faction began.

The starting point was, of course, the time difference.

“I believe the time difference issue is due to the rotation of this world.”

At Hyang’s opening statement, the researchers, both Joseon and foreign, all nodded.

“That seems to be the most likely explanation.”

“Based on the navigation records, dividing the time into regular intervals will make it easier to understand the time in the respective regions. Of course, there will be some margin of error.”

With the research results they had been conducting, the researchers offered their opinions, one after another.

‘Now the stage is set, I need to throw in the spark!’

Hiding her dark intentions deep inside, Hyang continued her act naturally.

“But you see, everything that rotates must have a center, mustn’t it?”

“Th-that’s right, isn’t it?”

At Hyang’s question, the researchers stammered. The same question arose in the minds of all the researchers who answered that way.

‘Why the center all of a sudden?’

Knowing the researchers’ doubts, Hyang pointed out the real problem.

“Then where is that center? Is it this world? Or is it somewhere else?”

“Pardon?”

“Huh?”

At Hyang’s question, the researchers momentarily fell into confusion. After a moment, Angelo and Yi Sun-ji, who had escaped from the state of momentary cognitive dissonance, answered simultaneously.

“Surely, this world is the center, is it not?”

“Surely, the sun is the center, is it not?”

“Huh?”

“Oh?”

The two who had answered looked at each other.

“You said the world is the center?”

“The sun is the center?”

At the other’s different statement, the two shouted simultaneously.

“You are wrong!”

And Hyang, who had caused this commotion, was doing her best to hold back her laughter.

‘Finally, it’s burst open!’

* * *

Thus, the researchers were divided into factions supporting the geocentric theory and those supporting the heliocentric theory, and a fierce debate began.

The researchers at the institute were divided into two factions, and a debate ensued.

Of course, it wasn’t exactly divided into two factions. In addition to the two large factions, there were also minor factions.

One was the observation faction, represented by Jeong Cho and Jeong In-ji.

“If we support one side, it will become a political issue, so we will only observe until the result comes out.”

Another was the “earring if you hang it on your ear, nose ring if you hang it on your nose” faction. They went back and forth between the two factions whenever they thought something was plausible; essentially, they were fence-sitters.

Another was the indifference faction. The representative of this faction was Jin-pyeong.

“Who cares if the earth rotates or the sky rotates? Shut up and lay the railroad tracks and research the ironclad horse!”

Hyang smiled bitterly at Jin-pyeong’s reaction.

“What a consistently single-minded bastard….”

Finally, there was Hyang.

The researchers of all factions gave Hyang a nickname.

‘Arsonist.’

Because she leisurely observed the situation and threw in controversial topics from time to time, and each time, the two factions flared up more fiercely.

* * *

The most central issue in the fiercely conducted debate between the two factions was the ‘orbit of the sun.’

“Comparing the summer solstice and the winter solstice, the altitude of the sun is extremely different. If the sun revolves around this world, this orbit cannot be explained. It is too unreasonable.”

Angelo immediately responded to Yi Sun-ji’s claim.

“According to the laws discovered by the great Ptolemy, the orbits in which the stars move….”

Angelo explained Ptolemy’s theory.

Thanks to the theory being refined for nearly 1,300 years since Ptolemy systematized it, it showed considerable completeness.

As Yi Sun-ji’s side seemed to be pushed back by Angelo’s explanation, Hyang slyly intervened.

“I listened to the explanation well. But as I listened, I have a few questions.”

“What are you curious about?”

At Angelo’s question, Hyang threw in another spark.

“Looking at the records of our Joseon’s Seowoongwan [Royal Observatory], as well as the records of the previous dynasty….”

Hyang asked a question about ‘apparent retrograde motion’ [the apparent backward movement of a planet against the background of stars].

Angelo answered Hyang’s question without delay.

“Ah! That is, according to Ptolemy’s research….”

Angelo explained using the concept of the equant [a point from which the center of the planet’s orbit appears to move at a constant angular speed]. Hyang still looked puzzled after hearing Angelo’s explanation.

“Why is it so complicated?”

“Pardon?”

At Hyang’s question, Angelo felt confusion and wariness.

Angelo became wary because Hyang’s tone had changed.

The king and the first prince of this country called Joseon had very peculiar speech habits.

When the officials were doing their jobs properly, they were very polite. But when they didn’t do their jobs properly, politeness disappeared from their words.

To be precise, they maintained basic politeness, but respect disappeared.

Thanks to this, it was customary for the officials of this country to turn pale and check their assigned tasks when the king and the first prince’s tone changed.

Looking at Angelo’s tense face for that reason, Hyang continued.

“As far as I know, truth and providence are never complicated. The ancient sages also said the same thing. But the theory you just mentioned is too complicated. Can’t this be seen as moving away from providence?”

‘E=mc², how simple and great!’

Angelo stammered in response to Hyang’s point.

“But, Ptolemy’s theory and doctrine are like that….”

“As far as I know, Ptolemy was a person from over 1,000 years ago. How much has the world changed in the meantime, and how much has knowledge increased? Isn’t it right to examine it again from the beginning?”

Angelo, who felt a sense of resistance to Hyang’s point, said to Hyang.

“Then what is Your Highness’s opinion?”

At Angelo’s words, Hyang looked at Yi Sun-ji and continued.

“Looking at the discussions that have been going on, it’s not an accurate theory, but closer to a concept.”

Hyang erased one side of the blackboard and picked up the chalk.

“Instead of repeating complicated words like deferent [the circular path around the Earth] and epicycle [a small circle whose center moves along the circumference of a larger one], if the orbit is not a perfect circle but an ellipse, and if the sun is placed at one of the two foci of this ellipse….”

Yi Sun-ji, who was watching the picture Hyang was drawing, jumped up from his seat and shouted.

“Then the problem is solved! We can create a very simple formula without equants or deferents!”

Yi Sun-ji, who had argued for the spherical Earth theory and the heliocentric theory even in the history before Hyang intervened, was quickly grasping the core.

However, Angelo could not easily agree.

“But if it revolves in an elliptical orbit, the orbital speed must continue to change. That means the same one hour must continue to change.”

Yi Sun-ji intervened at Angelo’s point, who still couldn’t let go of his attachment to the classical uniform circular motion orbit.

“What if this orbit revolves once a year instead of once a day, and instead, this world itself rotates once a day?”

“Then….”

At that moment, Angelo closed his mouth. If the concept of rotation was introduced, the uniform motion problem could be solved. Yi Sun-ji, who was watching Angelo, who suddenly closed his mouth, turned his head to Hyang and shouted.

“This world rotates and revolves! Then everything fits! And if it’s an elliptical orbit! We can explain and calculate the parts that were difficult to explain when we revised the calendar in the past!”

Yi Sun-ji was excited and wrote his theoretical formula all over the blackboard.

Amidst the numbers, formulas, and pictures filling the blackboard, Yi Sun-ji continued his explanation in a very excited voice.

“…In this way, the sun is placed at one of the two foci of the elliptical orbit, and this world revolves around that elliptical orbit!”

Yi Sun-ji looked at Angelo after finishing the explanation.

Angelo tasted bitterness as he analyzed the formula.

Rationally, Hyang’s concept and Yi Sun-ji’s theory were more reasonable. But emotionally, it was difficult to accept.

Because the moment he accepted it, his belief in God, which he had held until then, seemed to collapse.

In the end, Angelo had to keep finding fault.

“It’s difficult to explain the occurrence of seasons and seasonal divisions with that theory.”

Hyang intervened at Angelo’s point.

“What if the axis of rotation of this world is not standing straight, but tilted?”

“Pardon?”

At Angelo’s question, Hyang rolled up a piece of paper and pierced it with a golden pen.

“It’s a bit clumsy, but let’s say this paper is this world and this golden pen is the axis. And let’s say my left fist is the sun. If this axis rotates like this….”

Hyang explained, spinning the golden pen around his left fist.

In the end, Angelo had no choice but to concede.

“The opinion that this world revolves around the sun seems more reasonable, but according to doctrine….”

Hyang cut off Angelo when he mentioned doctrine.

“Can you be sure that the providence of the God you believe in is consistent with doctrine?”

“Pardon?”

“Looking at the scriptures and books you have read, it is said that what was previously passed down orally was recorded in the language of a different race, and then translated into Latin. Are you confident that there has never been a single mistranslation in that process?”

“That is….”

Angelo could not answer Hyang’s question with certainty.

Seeing Angelo’s appearance, Hyang drove in the stake.

“Let’s say that the providence of the God you believe in is infallible. Does that mean you can be sure that your scriptures and doctrines are also infallible?”

In the end, Angelo and the monks had no choice but to answer that they would positively review the heliocentric theory.

* * *

Note 1) The story of Cheonwonjiban (heaven is round and earth is square) and money. Seoul Today. 2019.01.11.

http://www.sultoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=55970