Concerning the Harmonies of the World
by Johannes Kepler · Harmonices Mundi
Assigned by 2 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1619
- Language
- Latin
- Length
- Medium · 200 pp120 to 300 pages
- Difficulty
- Difficult4 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Harmony of the World, translated by E. J. Aiton, A. M. Duncan and J. V. FieldAmerican Philosophical Society, 1997The only complete English translation of all five books, with the diagrams and full commentary.
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Kepler's attempt to show that the universe is built on the same proportions as music. The first two books treat regular polygons and the tilings and solids they form; the third derives musical consonance from geometry; the fourth applies harmony to astrology and the soul. Book V, the one programs assign, finds harmonies in the speeds of the planets as seen from the sun, gives each a range of notes, and states in passing the third law of planetary motion that Newton would later need.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Concerning the Harmonies of the World are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
