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Who was the last ancient scholar to believe that the Earth was flat?
The shape of the Earth has sparked discussion and exploration in many cultures throughout history, especially in ancient times. The question of whether the Earth is flat or spherical has not only influenced scientific thought, but has also had a profound impact on philosophy and religious beliefs. Although modern science has proven that the earth is round, the ancients' understanding of the earth's shape is still worth our in-depth exploration.
The cultures of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia believed that the world was like a disk floating on the ocean, an idea that reappeared in their literature and art.
In ancient Greece, questions about the shape of the Earth were also common. Early philosophers such as Thales and Anaximander put forward their own theories, although their views were not completely consistent. Thales believed that the Earth floated on water, while Anaximander described the Earth as a stable cylinder. However, over time, thinkers like Plato and Aristotle helped to make the theory of a round Earth more accepted.
Aristotle used observations to prove that the Earth is round, specifically that the view of the sky changes as people travel to higher places, a phenomenon that remains true nearly 2,400 years later.
This idea of a round Earth was widely supported in the early Christian church. For example, church fathers such as Agoras and Methodius both mentioned in different texts that the Earth is spherical. Although some Christian scholars like St. Augustine may have questioned certain concepts of a round earth, generally speaking, the mainstream thought of the church pointed to the fact that the earth is round. Until the Middle Ages, the understanding of the shape of the earth remained relatively consistent.
Medieval scholars believed that the earth was round, a view widely found in various European philosophical and theological texts.
It can be seen that the concept of a flat earth was once popular in various ancient civilizations, and the debate over the shape of the earth did not end quickly with the progress of science. On the contrary, in some cultures the concept persisted into modern times. For example, in ancient China, the concept of "the sky is round and the earth is square" has long existed, and this view continued until the contact with Europe in the 17th century.
Chinese scholars at the time firmly believed that the earth was flat, and this understanding has not changed due to external scientific knowledge.
Over time, many ancient scholars eventually came to accept the idea of a spherical Earth, but some may have held on to the flat Earth theory for a time. As for the last scholar in history who believed that the earth was flat, there seems to be no clear conclusion, but it is conceivable that with the popularization of knowledge and the advancement of science, this belief will no longer be able to gain a foothold in the wider society. .
In today's world, we still see some voices emerging that have misconceptions about the shape of the Earth, especially driven by social media. Although modern science has provided sufficient evidence to prove the roundness of the earth, these abnormal voices remind us that the significance of scientific education and its pursuit of truth are always indispensable. This phenomenon makes us wonder whether human beings’ questioning of the truth will continue to update and evolve with the changes of the times?
