terraqueous

The discovery of antipodes led straight to the concept of the terraqueous globe; but Copernicanism did not lead directly to the view that all planets shine by reflected light—the telescope had to intervene.

An immediate consequence, therefore, which is the subject of Chapter 4, was a radical transformation in the understanding of how the Earth is constructed: the emergence of the concept of the terraqueous globe.

Again, the example of sailing to America presents problems for the principle of underdetermination: we have seen that although Bodin proposed an alternative to the terraqueous globe theory, it was never viable; not a single person came to its support.

The terraqueous globe theory was not underdetermined; in this case the relationship between the theory and the facts was a tight one, not a loose one.

Only later, in 1629, was a satisfactory technical term invented to identify unambiguously this new entity: it was called ‘the terraqueous globe’.