Canon of Milutin Milankovic

  1. Lemma
  2. Kanon Milutina Milankovica
  3. Serbian
  4. Stevanovic, Aleksandra
  5. Modes of interaction
  6. 10-10-2016
  7. Petrovic, Aleksandar [Author]. Serbs 1903–1914, History of Ideas. 450–465, Milutin Milankovic
    1. Petrovic, Aleksandar
  9. Milankovic, Milutin - Saint Sava - Milankovic, Milutin [Author]. Canon of Insolation

    1. Тhe author implies that consideration of work of Milutin Milankovic demands a broader cognitive horizon. The paper depicts the way Milankovic solved the questions of celestial mechanics and connected celestial to the earth cycles, reinforcing the principle and culture of analogies. Such a method is seen as Neoplatonic and represents the liberation from the boundaries of empiric sciences and observations on solar, ideal climate, incorporated in the major work of Milankovic – "Canon of Insolation".

      The author further connects the life and work of Milankovic to one of the most significant persons in Serbian Orthodox tradition – archbishop Saint Sava, and his Nomocanon. "Canon of Insolation" establishes vertical connection, which in the etymological sense becomes religion, since the word “religion” means “bond", "connection”. In that sense, the author concludes that they represent canons of freedom, same connection on different bases; what Saint Sava represented in Middle Ages, Milankovic represented in the New Era. Saint Sava connected all post-Byzantine Orthodox churches, providing the new ground, while Milankovic, in a similar way, overcame the existing boundaries and connected celestial and earth sciences, establishing the ground for a new science. Both of the canons go beyond the existing boundaries, approach freedom from the same sphere of concordance, where the Sun, and its light, is put in the center. Therefore, their two canons provide the best determination of Serbian culture – transcendental concept of freedom.

      Another aspect that connects Saint Sava and Milutin Milankovic is the fact that Milankovic’s experience of freedom is the one of St Sava’s. That is evident in his decision to leave prosperous career of a most distinguished engineer in wealthy Vienna, and go to Belgrade, to become a modest university professor. By that decision, he repeated St Sava’s decision (while he was a young prince Rastko Nemanjic) to leave material prosperity and go to a monastery, that is, leave material for the transcendental. Such decisions represent live contemporary religion praxis.

      Connecting Milankovic, a renowned scientist, to St Sava, symbol of Serbian Orthodoxy reveals a very strong line of thought that is, in its essence Orthodox – regardless of historical time of Middle or New age. Such connection established by professor Petrovic, who obviously perceives Milankovic as a true Orthodox scientist of Neoplatonic inspiration, is very significant for the understanding of the scientific achievements of Milankovic, as well as for a better understanding of science–religion dynamics in the frame of Serbian cultural pattern.