When the Earth was flat : studies in Ancient Greek and Chinese cosmology /: studies in Ancient Greek and Chinese cosmology. (2018)

• Record Type: Book
• Further Information: Note: Dirk L. Couprie.
• Authors: Couprie, Dirk L, 1940-
• Contents: Spherical versus Flat Foreword AcknowledgementsReferencesIntroduction Chapter 1 Preliminaries on Sources and Methodology Sources Methodology ReferencesPart One Ancient Greece Chapter 2 Peculiarities of Presocratic Flat Earth Cosmology The shape of the earth Arguments concerning the shape of the earth Geographical issues The tilt of the celestial axis The alleged tilt of the earth Climatological issues Falling on a flat earth Distance of the heavens Temporal issues ReferencesChapter 3 Anaximander's Images Introduction The cosmic tree The tilted tree The reversal in the relationship between air and fire Tamed fire Turning wheels Two images for escaping fire Tilted wheels ReferencesChapter 4 Anaximander's Phenomenological Astronomy Closing fire spots Phases of the moon Lunar eclipses Solar eclipses ReferencesChapter 5 Anaximander's Numbers Introduction An ordered universe Anaximander's numbers of the heavenly bodies Tannery and the standard interpretation The problem of the sun's distance Attempts to explain the origin of Anaximander's cosmological numbers An interpretation dating from before Tannery The sun's angular diameter Skeptical conclusions and a possible way out A new interpretation: the numbers as a calculator for the lunar cycle Conclusions ReferencesChapter 6 Anaximenes' Cosmology The cap simile; Graham and the top hat The tilted earth interpretation of the cap simile Bicknell's interpretation of the cap simile McKirahan's interpretation of the cap simile Fehling and the flat heaven A fresh look at the doxography Anonymous texts and Kirk's interpretation Towards an interpretation of Anaximenes' cosmology Concluding remarks ReferencesChapter 7 Xenophanes' Cosmology A cosmological quotation from Xenophanes' poemXenophanes' text in the interpretation of Aristotle, Achilles Tatius, Empedocles, pseudo-Aristotle, and Simplicius Xenophanes' text in the interpretation of Aëtius, Strabo, and CiceroXenophanes' text in the interpretation of Diogenes of Oinoanda, Hippolytus, and pseudo-Plutarch Xenophanes' text in the interpretation of some recent authors Xenophanes' text in the interpretation of Mourelatos The nature and movements of the celestial bodies The interpretation of an enigmatic text: Drozdek and Mourelatos Mourelatos' interpretation illustrated by GrahamA cosmic railway system and a cosmic ballet The different paths of the heavenly bodies according to Mourelatos and Graham Some more textual and conceptual problems The earth not infinitely extended, neither in surface nor in depthThe two meanings of ἄπειρος A spherical cosmos and a hemispherical heaven The 'many suns' The curved paths of the celestial bodies All disappearances of heavenly bodies are quenchings Final remarks ReferencesChapter 8 Anaxagoras on The Milky Way and Lunar Eclipses Introduction The Milky Way Anaxagoras on the Milky WayIntroductory remarks on eclipses Anaxagoras' alleged explanation of lunar eclipses The incompatibility of Anaxagoras' theory of the Milky Way with his alleged explanation of lunar eclipses Invisible heavenly bodies below the moonAttempts to understand the invisible bodies as an additional cause of lunar eclipses Invisible bodies as Anaxagoras' only theory of lunar eclipses The possible origin of a misunderstanding Concluding remarks ReferencesAddendum to Chapter 8: 'Crepuscular' Lunar Eclipses During Anaxagoras' Lifetime ReferencesChapter 9 Anaxagoras on The Light and Phases of the MoonIntroductionCould Anaxagoras have given the correct explanation of the moon's phases?Anaxagoras on the light of the moon in Aëtius 2.25 and analogous textsAnaxagoras on the light of the moon in Aëtius 2.28 and analogous textsAnaxagoras on the light of the moon in Aëtius 2.29 and analogous textsAnaxagoras on the light of the moon in Aëtius 2.30 and analogous textsProblems and past suggestions to solve themThe ambiguity of 'received light'The moon's light and phases according to Anaxagoras' suggestions for a new interpretationConclusion ReferencesChapter 10 Anaxagoras and the Measurement of the Sun and MoonThe doxographical evidence Did Anaxagoras measure the size of the sun and moon with the help of a solar eclipse?Solar eclipses; umbra, penumbra, and antumbra Graham and Hintz on the eclipse of February 17, 478 BCFurther critical remarks on Graham and Hintz' attemptFehling's attemptAn extrapolation of Thales' method to measure the height of a pyramid ReferencesChapter 11 Aristotle's Arguments for the Sphericity of the EarthIntroduction The first empirical argumentThe second empirical argumentThe third empirical argumentEmpirical arguments that Aristotle did not useAristotle on empirical arguments for a flat earth Theoretical arguments for a spherical earthFinal remarks ReferencesPart Two Ancient ChinaChapter 12 An Ancient Chinese Flat Earth Cosmology. Main FeaturesThe gai tian model of a flat earth and a flat heavenThe movements of the heavenly bodies and the location of ZhouThe shadow rule and the fundamental cosmic measurementsSome more calculationsThe incorrectness of the shadow ruleThe horizon and the rising and setting sun as optical illusionsQuestionable interpretations of the heavens as an optical illusionThe heaven as an optical illusion and the range of visibilityThe interrelation of the range of visibility and the area of sunlightAnother interpretation of the three-dimensional shape of sunlightThe size of the area of sunlight (first approach); the circle of the equinoxThe size of the area of sunlight (second approach); the xuan jiHow we see the sun; the shadow rule once again The limited applicability of the shadow ruleThe cardinal directions ReferencesChapter 13 An Ancient Chinese Flat Earth Cosmology. Details and CalculationsThe location of ZhouMeasuring the sun's diameterThe extension of the solar illuminationGeographical measurementsSunrise and sunset seen from ZhouThe seven heng and the limit of the cosmosAn extrapolation: the southern poleThe heaven shaped like a truncated conical rain hat?A short evaluation of the gai tian system in the Zhou bi ReferencesChapter 14 Ancient Chinese Versus Greek Flat Earth CosmologyTwo kinds of flat earth cosmology comparedGreek influence on the gai tian flat earth cosmology? ReferencesChapter 15 Two Appendices: Cosmas Indicopleustes and Samuel Birley Rowbotham Cosmas Indicopleustes and the shadow ruleRowbotham: the world not a globe ReferencesList of AbbreviationsList of IllustrationsQuotations from Ancient Greek and Roman AuthorsQuotations from the Zhou bi and Ancient Chinese Authors Bibliography.
• Publisher Details: Cham, Switzerland : Springer
• Publication Date: 2018
• Extent: 1 online resource (xxxi, 361 pages), illustrations (some color)
• Subjects: 523.1; Physics; Cosmology, Ancient; Science -- Physics; Philosophy -- Metaphysics; History of science; Philosophy: metaphysics & ontology; Astronomy; Metaphysics; Science -- Astronomy; Theoretical & mathematical astronomy; Electronic books
• Languages: English
• ISBNs: 9783319970523; 3319970526
• Related ISBNs: 9783319970516
• Notes: Note: Includes bibliographical references.; Note: Online resource; title from PDF title page (SpringerLink, viewed November 14, 2018).
• Access Rights: Legal Deposit; Only available on premises controlled by the deposit library and to one user at any one time; The Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations (UK).
• Access Usage: Restricted: Printing from this resource is governed by The Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations (UK) and UK copyright law currently in force.