Of Clouds & Shadows
Philosophy Now|August/September 2022
Heiner Thiessen on Eratosthenes, Ancient Greek scientist.
Heiner Thiessen
Of Clouds & Shadows

Thinking for oneself and avoiding any form of hero-worship seems sound advice, and most of my life I have followed it with genuine conviction. But in my quieter years, and closer to the big cliff, where I have found the space and time to live on a sloping ledge, well beyond the realm of grinding necessity, I have discovered a fellow human being with whom I feel great kinship and even a sense of quiet admiration, having none of his outstanding qualities myself.

I am talking about a Greek polymath who had a finger in almost every scientific pie of his day. They called him the pentathlete, due to his mental prowess in so many disciplines. He was a poet, a mathematician, a geographer, a historian, an astronomer, and finally, the director of the most important library of the ancient world, situated in Alexandria on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, west of the Nile Delta. I am talking about Eratosthenes, who was born in North Africa in about 276 BC and who spent most of his adult life in the Greek colony of Alexandria, newly established by the ambitious Macedonian warlord Alexander the Great.

This story is from the August/September 2022 edition of Philosophy Now.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the August/September 2022 edition of Philosophy Now.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM PHILOSOPHY NOWView All
Anselm (1033-1109)
Philosophy Now

Anselm (1033-1109)

Martin Jenkins recalls the being of the creator of the ontological argument.

time-read
8 mins  |
October/November 2024
Is Brillo Box an Illustration?
Philosophy Now

Is Brillo Box an Illustration?

Thomas E. Wartenberg uses Warhol's work to illustrate his theory of illustration.

time-read
8 mins  |
October/November 2024
Why is Freedom So Important To Us?
Philosophy Now

Why is Freedom So Important To Us?

John Shand explains why free will is basic to humanity.

time-read
6 mins  |
October/November 2024
The Funnel of Righteousness
Philosophy Now

The Funnel of Righteousness

Peter Worley tells us how to be right, righter, rightest.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October/November 2024
We're as Smart as the Universe Gets
Philosophy Now

We're as Smart as the Universe Gets

James Miles argues, among other things, that E.T. will be like Kim Kardashian, and that the real threat of advanced AI has been misunderstood.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October/November 2024
Managing the Mind
Philosophy Now

Managing the Mind

Roger Haines contemplates how we consciously manage our minds.

time-read
9 mins  |
October/November 2024
lain McGilchrist's Naturalized Metaphysics
Philosophy Now

lain McGilchrist's Naturalized Metaphysics

Rogério Severo looks at the brain to see the world anew.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October/November 2024
Love & Metaphysics
Philosophy Now

Love & Metaphysics

Peter Graarup Westergaard explains why love is never just physical, with the aid of Donald Davidson's anomalous monism.

time-read
6 mins  |
October/November 2024
Mary Leaves Her Room
Philosophy Now

Mary Leaves Her Room

Nigel Hems asks, does Mary see colours differently outside her room?

time-read
7 mins  |
October/November 2024
From Birds To Brains
Philosophy Now

From Birds To Brains

Jonathan Moens considers whether emergence can explain minds from brains.

time-read
7 mins  |
October/November 2024