The Copernican revolution?

A new take on the Copernical "revolution" conumdrum mentioned before (but not by that name). The conumdrum is that while we all accept that the Earth goes around the Sun this contradicts our daily experience of the Sun rising in the East and setting in the West before returning East again in the morning.

We are even conditioned to believe that this conumdrum is explained by saying that "while the Earth goes around the Sun the Earth is revolving so that anyone standing on the Earth will perceive the Sun to be orbiting." Now it is true that the Copernican model explains the passage of the Sun not just daily but also annually and for every point on Earth. It is a more descriptive model no question. However it does not replace the previous model at all (of the orbiting Sun) which is a much better one for daily observation.

It is like Einstein's theory usurping Newtons. Newton's is still good for normal observation, Einsteins is just more complete.

Now the conundrum is the question, "Given two fundamentally different models, which one is Real?"

In other words does the sun really orbit the Earth, or the Earth really orbit the Sun?

The answer is neither! This is the non-self of Buddhism. Given any phenomenon there is no "real" underlying substance or reality. Depending where you stand both models work! Neither is fundamental, neither is real. There is no more real a sun at the centre of of the solar system than there is going around the Earth. Copernicus explained the phenomena better, but phenomena is what they remain - the same phenomena that early man explained as the sun travelling through the sky.

This also reveals the inherent cultural snobbery and eliteish that accompanies science. That we the West believe we have the truth and our ancestors were ignorant - is the most arrogant and profound ignorance. Both explained what they saw as well as they need to, that is all we can do.