Subject: Re: [HM] Flat earth fallacy
From: Porter, Neil (NeilP@ise.canberra.edu.au)
Date: Mon Feb 21 2000 - 18:52:50 EST
That the middle ages believed that the earth is flat is a popular modern
myth, developed mainly during the 19th century.
So the answers appear to be 1. No, 2. No, 3. No, 4. These errors are firmly
embedded in the popular culture.
The full story is to be found in "Inventing the Flat Earth" by Jeffrey
burton, Prager paperback, Westport Conn, 1997.
Since no authorities in the middle ages believed the earth was flat, I don't
suppose anyone was burned at the stake for it. Could it be Giordano Bruno's
tragic fate that is the ultimate source of this myth?
Since our copy of Russell hasn't arrived here in the antipodes, I haven't
read the detail yet.
Neil Porter
School of Mathematics and Statistics
University of Canberra
Canberra ACT
Australia,
61 2 62012198
>
> It is not uncommon to read in pre-university student essays that "people
> once believed that the earth is flat" and even that "people who suggested
> otherwise were burnt at the stake". I find this very disturbing.
>
> 1. Is it true that people in the Middle Ages actually believed such a thing?
>
> 2. If so, would such flat earthers include scientists and other scholars?
>
> 3. Is it possible that the wisdom of people like Ptolemy, Eratosthenes,
> Aristotle, all of who believed that the Earth is spherical, was lost in the
> Middle Ages?
>
> 4. Where do students get this factoid from? Why do they confuse geocentrism
> with flat earth? Do they seriously think that Columbus discovered that the
> Earth is not flat?
>
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