Who were the Greek philosophers mentioned in the text who sought rational explanations for celestial phenomena?
Question
Who were the Greek philosophers mentioned in the text who sought rational explanations for celestial phenomena?
Solution
The Greek philosophers who sought rational explanations for celestial phenomena typically include:
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Thales of Miletus: Often considered the first philosopher in Western history, he proposed that water is the fundamental substance of the universe.
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Anaximander: A pupil of Thales, he suggested the existence of a boundless substance (the "apeiron") from which all things emerge.
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Pythagoras: He is known for his contributions to mathematics, but also for his belief in the harmony of the spheres, where celestial bodies move according to mathematical principles.
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Heraclitus: He introduced the idea of change as a fundamental essence of the universe, famously stating that you cannot step into the same river twice.
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Plato: He believed in ideal forms and that the physical world is a shadow of these ideals, discussing celestial phenomena in works like "Timaeus".
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Aristotle: He made extensive contributions to many fields, including astronomy, proposing a geocentric model where the Earth is at the center of the universe.
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Ptolemy: A later figure, his work in the "Almagest" compiled and systematized the astronomical knowledge of his time, providing a geocentric model with complex epicycles to explain celestial motions.
These philosophers shifted the understanding of celestial phenomena from mythological explanations to rational and logical reasoning.
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