History of the Plurality of Worlds: The Myths of Extraterrestrials Through the Ages

1. Introduction: Myth or fact/reality.- 2. From Anaximander to Lucretius: Plurality from chance.- 3. Pythagoras, Plato and Ptolemy: Unicity by design.- 4. Plutarch's De Facie: The Moon is another Earth.- 5. Patristic cosmology confirms the single world.- 6. Scholastics invent virtual Plurality.- 7. Nicolaus Cusanus: Homogeneous Cosmos.- 8. Nicolaus Copernicus: Earth no center.- 9. Giordano Bruno: Lame compasses but agile pen.- 10. Galileo Galilei: Technicians oust metaphysicians.- 11. Johannes Kepler: Servo-controlled planets orbiting a Sun-God.- 12. René Descartes and Cartesians: Multiple worlds from vortex power.- 13. Christiaan Huygens: Humans give its present-day form extraterrestrial intelligence.- 14. The time coordinate of Plurality.- 15. The discovery of time.- 16. Epilogue: Today's myth.- Bibliography.- Notes.- Index.