Philosopher

Democritus

The greatest contribution of Democritus in astronomy is the atomic theory-the belief that everything in the world consists of particles called atoms. These atoms, Democritus believed, are indestructible, indivisible, and always in motion. They atoms are infinite in numbers, and come in different sizes and shapes. Explaining the nature of atoms was not difficult through

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Plato

Plato, was a famous ancient philosopher who lived in Athens, Greece from 427 BC to 347 BC. He lends his name to the word “platonic,” however, Plato was probably not his real name, but was merely a nickname. “Plato” meant “broad,” possibly an allusion to his wide shoulders or forehead, or to the wide scope

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Socrates

Socrates is practically a household name. This ancient Greek thinker is well known not only in philosophical circles, but by every person who has gone to school. A kind of question-and-answer discourse has been named after him: the Socratic Method. This approach is used in philosophical discussions and in more general forms of idea exchange.

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Pythagoras

Pythagoras lived between 569-475 BC. He holds the distinction of being the first “pure mathematician.” It is unfortunate that no writings of Pythagoras have survived (although it is uncertain if he did ever write any), but he made very significant contributions in the development of mathematics. Pythagoras was a mathematician, but he was also equally

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Hypatia

Hypatia is unique among many ancient scholars and philosophers, she was a woman. But her gender is not her sole claim to fame. She was a great teacher, scholar, mathematician, philosopher, scientist, and compiler and preserver of important scientific writings. Hypatia was born in 370 AD in the center of learning that was Alexandria, Egypt.

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Aristotle

Aristotle is often touted as one of the founding fathers of science. Trained by the great philosopher Plato, Aristotle built a school he called the Lyceum at Athens. He delved into almost all dimensions of knowledge, including philosophy, science, art, literature, and of course astronomy. Based on his writings, Aristotle believed that the cosmos is

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Thales

Thales lived around 580 BC in Miletus, Greece. Like many prominent Greek scholars, he was adept in not just one but many fields of knowledge. Thales was an accomplished mathematician, philosopher and physicist. In fact, he is often referred to as the “Father of Physics”, and he was one of the “Seven Sages,” Greece’s seven

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