Combining Texts

Ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Letter to Pythocles' and 'Bayesianism'

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2 ideas

27. Natural Reality / E. Cosmology / 1. Cosmology
A cosmos is a collection of stars and an earth, with some sort of boundary, movement and shape [Epicurus]
     Full Idea: A cosmos is a circumscribed portion of the heavens containing stars and an earth; it is separated from the unlimited, with a boundary which is rare or dense; it is revolving or stationary; it is round or triangular, or some shape. All these are possible.
     From: Epicurus (Letter to Pythocles [c.292 BCE], 88)
     A reaction: Notice that there seem to exist the 'heavens' which extend beyond the cosmos. See Idea 14036, saying that there are many other cosmoi in the heavens.
27. Natural Reality / G. Biology / 3. Evolution
Archelaus said life began in a primeval slime [Archelaus, by Schofield]
     Full Idea: Archelaus wrote that life on Earth began in a primeval slime.
     From: report of Archelaus (fragments/reports [c.450 BCE]) by Malcolm Schofield - Archelaus
     A reaction: This sounds like a fairly clearcut assertion of the production of life by evolution. Darwin's contribution was to propose the mechanism for achieving it. We should honour the name of Archelaus for this idea.