The Life and Times of Plato, Bruno, Margaret Kavendish, and Maria Winkelman

Plato• After father’s death, grew up w/ stepfather Pyrilampes• As a child studied philosophy under Cratylus

Plato cont’d

• Socrates disciple• In military for 5 years• Socrates forced suicide left him deeply scarred• Joined Thirty years Tyrants w/ uncle Charmides• Left shortly when exposed to heavy violence

Plato Final

• Wrote a total of 36 Dialogues & 13 Letters• In Italy, advised Syracuse family• Developed theory of forms, Platonic realism, Platonic

idealism• Created the Academy in Athens• Taught a young Aristotle• Most likely died and buried on Academy grounds

Giordano Bruno

• Born Filippo Bruno in 1548• Dominican Friar Who studied astronomy, astrology,

and philosophy• His ideas further expanded Copernicus’ heliocentric

theory

Bruno cont’d

• Accurately predicted Sun was just another star• Also believed there to be an infinite # of planets,

some of which are inhabited by intelligent beings• Became a martyr during Roman inquisition

Margaret Cavendish

• British aristocratic writer and scientist• Born Margaret Lucas, daughter of John Lucas (1623)• Traveled w/ Henrietta Maria in exile to france where she lived

in young Louis XIV’s court• Published about natural philosophy and early scientific law

under her own name, unusual for women of her time (21 tot.)• Criticized Hobbes, Descartes, and Boyle

Maria Winkelmann

• German who believed in equal opportunity (sex)• Studied w/ self-taught farmer/astronomer

Chrisopher Arnold, through whom she met future husband and fellow astronomer Gottfried Kirch

• Worked together create calendars, ephemeredes, almanacs

• First woman to discover a comet(1702) Kirch credited

Maria Winkelmann cont’d

• Observed Aurora Borealis (1707)• Conjunction of Sun w/ Saturn & Venus• Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn• Son Christfried became Head astronomer, while she

and her daughter assisted• Forced to retire and died in 1720 • Succeeded by 3 daughters and son

Citations• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giordano_Bruno• http://www.google.com/imgres?sa=X&biw=792&bih=579&tbm=isch&tbnid=0sfmWfSm3uMf2M:&imgrefurl=http://

www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/people_n2/science_n2/helio.html&docid=XkPozWPn-04vJM&imgurl=http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/people_n2/science_n2/images/heliocentric.jpg&w=325&h=325&ei=Cf1yUsWGFZiz4AOY9oGoDQ&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:1,s:0,i:93&iact=rc&page=1&tbnh=183&tbnw=175&start=0&ndsp=8&tx=98&ty=115

• http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ypLtaa68ryI/TLmkdllGlXI/AAAAAAAAEX8/sxhXnaypdkk/s640/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzbruno6.jpg• http://www.binarymoon.co.uk/2010/03/toy-story-1-2-3/toy-story-3-aliens/ • http://www.athenstourgreece.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/athens-academy-Socrates-Plato.jpg• http://filipspagnoli.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/socrates.jpg• http://scottoden.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/greek-soldier.jpg• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Plato_Pio-Clemetino_Inv305.jpg • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Cavendish,_Duchess_of_Newcastle-upon-Tyne • http://www.sheisanastronomer.org/index.php/history/maria-winkelmann-kirch • http://thelifeofmariawinkelmann.weebly.com/a-comet-is-discovered.html