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Apr 20, 2024 17 tweets 7 min read Read on X
The Greatest Minds to Have Ever Lived (A Four-Part Series) - Part 2.

Here are the luminaries who have laid the foundations for the arts, philosophy, and the sciences that shaped our world sometimes at cost of their lives.

Let's look at how they were immortalized in art.🧵⤵️ Triumph of St Thomas Aquinas, Doctor Communis, between Plato and Aristotle depicting Aquinas (top center), a major Averroes critic, "triumphing" over Averroes (bottom), Benozzo Gozzoli, 1471. Louvre, Paris.
Aryabhata

Aryabhata was an Indian mathematician and astronomer. His pioneering work in the 5th century, notably the "Aryabhatiya," introduced the concept of zero, outlined the methods of algebra, and offered a heliocentric theory of the solar system, significantly influencing both Indian and Islamic mathematics and astronomy.Statue depicting Aryabhata on the grounds of IUCAA, Pune By Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1266822
Al Biruni

A Persian scholar who made contributions to the fields of mathematics, philosophy, and geography and wrote extensively on religious and cultural practices. His "Kitab al-Hind" (Book on India) provides a comprehensive cultural and scientific study of India. The statue of Al-Biruni in United Nations Office in Vienna. Photo: Pinterest/Wikimedia Foundation
Ibn Rushd (Averroes)

A medieval Andalusian polymath known for his extensive commentaries on Aristotle, he had a profound influence on both Muslim and Christian European thought and is referred to as the bridge between Muslim and Christian philosophy.

His work "Bidayat al-Mujtahid" (The Distinguished Jurist's Primer) is among his most important.Estatua de Averroes (Ibn Rushd) en Córdoba Statue of Averroes (Ibn Rushd) in Córdoba, Spain, Averroes was an Islamic theologian, Philosopher, Mathematician, Medicine, Physicist, Astronomer  Photo by Saleemzohaib (Wikimedia CC BY 3.0)
Nicolaus Copernicus

A Renaissance mathematician and astronomer who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than Earth at its center. His revolutionary ideas were published in "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres).Nicolaus Copernicus Monument in Kraków
Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas was a pivotal figure in medieval philosophy and theology, known for synthesizing Aristotelian philosophy with Christian doctrine, thereby laying the foundational framework for much of Western theology.

His major works, the "Summa Theologica" and "Summa Contra Gentiles," systematically outlined Christian teachings and rational arguments for faith, influencing centuries of religious and philosophical thought.Thomas is girded by angels with a mystical belt of purity after his proof of chastity. Painting by Diego Velázquez.
Zhu Xi

Zhu Xi was a prominent Chinese philosopher during the Song dynasty, who profoundly influenced the development of Neo-Confucianism by synthesizing Confucian thought with elements of Daoism and Buddhism.

His systematic approach to education and his commentaries on the Four Books became the basis for civil service examinations, shaping the intellectual, moral, and social frameworks of East Asia for many centuries.Image
Avicenna (Ibn Sina)

A Persian polymath whose contributions spanned medicine, philosophy, and science. His "The Canon of Medicine" was a standard medical text at many medieval universities. Avicenna at the sickbed, miniature by Walenty z Pilzna, Kraków (ca 1479–1480)
William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

An English playwright and poet, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. His works include "Hamlet," "Macbeth," and "Romeo and Juliet." Shakespeare's funerary monument in Stratford-upon-Avon By Sicinius - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68457210
Sir Isaac Newton (1643–1727)

An English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, and author, known for his laws of motion and universal gravitation which formed the cornerstone of classical physics. His seminal work, "Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica" (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), laid the foundations for much of modern science.Newton's tomb monument in Westminster Abbey by John Michael Rysbrack By Javier Otero, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=133473000
Rumi (Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rumi)

A 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic best known for his poems that form the basis of much Persian literature and have been widely translated into various languages. His major work is "Masnavi," a six-book spiritual epic.Jalal ad-Din Rumi gathers Sufi mystics Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=997371
Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher known for his profound and provocative ideas on culture, morality, religion, and philosophy.

His works, such as "Thus Spoke Zarathustra," "Beyond Good and Evil," and "The Genealogy of Morals," challenged the foundations of traditional morality and introduced concepts like the "will to power," "eternal recurrence," and the "Übermensch," which have had a lasting impact on modern philosophical and cultural thought.Portrait of Nietzsche by Edvard Munch, 1906 By Edvard Munch - http://www.munch150.no/no/Presse/Pressebilder, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37738947
René Descartes

René Descartes was a French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist, often regarded as the father of modern philosophy for his development of a new, systematic method of rational deduction.

His famous assertion "Cogito, ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am") underpins his approach to philosophy, and his contributions to mathematics, notably the Cartesian coordinate system, have fundamentally shaped the development of modern science and analytical geometry.Descartes in conversation with Queen Christina in Stockholm By Snow Minister - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=106013940
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

A German writer, poet, and statesman whose works span the fields of poetry, drama, literature, theology, humanism, and science. "Faust," his two-part dramatic work, is his most famous masterpiece. Goethe in the Roman Campagna (1786) by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein
Immanuel Kant

A German philosopher who is a central figure in modern philosophy, he established a comprehensive and complex theory in epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics. His critical philosophy is best encapsulated in "Critique of Pure Reason." Kant with friends, including Christian Jakob Kraus, Johann Georg Hamann, Theodor Gottlieb von Hippel and Karl Gottfried Hagen
Adam Smith

A Scottish economist and philosopher best known for his theories on free markets, laissez-faire economic policies, and the division of labor. "The Wealth of Nations" is his most famous work, and it is considered one of the founding texts of economic theory. A statue of Smith in Edinburgh's High Street, erected through private donations organised by the Adam Smith Institute Photo: Andreas Praefcke - Wikimedia CC BY 3.0
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More from @CultureExploreX

Jul 30
They weren’t just noble warriors.
They were assassins, poets, warlords, and bureaucrats.

Some upheld peace. Others slit throats in the dark.

This is the untold story of the Samurai and what the world gets wrong. 🧵👇 Samurai Warrior Portrait Asian Japanese Oilpainting Style Artwork Credit: Sunshine Studio/ Displate
You think of a Samurai as a katana-wielding warrior in polished armor.

But for much of Japanese history, they didn’t even fight.

They taxed rice, ran local governments, and wrote poetry. And many never saw a battlefield. Image
The word “Samurai” doesn’t mean warrior.

It means “to serve.”

They were originally household guards for aristocrats in the Heian period.

Think security detail, not battlefield heroes. Credit: WPS-27
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Jul 27
Michelangelo isn’t coming back.

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They’re proving that Western art is still alive and still capable of stopping you in your tracks. 🧵👇 Narciso by Jago
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She sculpts bronze like it’s silk.
Her women in motion feel alive—capturing a blend of grace and power that rivals the Renaissance.

Born in China. Trained in Europe. Rooted in Western tradition. Image
2. Benjamin Victor

He’s the only living sculptor with three statues in the U.S. Capitol.

His works in marble and bronze carry classical realism into today’s public spaces.

You’ve likely walked by his art and didn’t even know it. Abel by Benjamin Victor
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Jul 26
Everyone talks about Western Europe. But some of the most jaw-dropping architecture in Europe?

You’ll find it where you least expect across Central and Eastern Europe.

It’s time these places got more spotlight.

The next three will take your breath away. 🧵👇 Czech Republic  Credit: Mountains Travel
1. Church of Saint Sava, Belgrade, Serbia (1935–2004)

It took decades. Wars stalled it. Dictators fell.
Now it stands: one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world.

Marble, mosaics, and that dome. You don’t just see it—you feel it. Credit: @JamesLucasIT
2. Prague Astronomical Clock, Czech Republic (1410)

It still works. 600 years of ticking, clicking, and crowds gasping.

Death rings the bell. The apostles take a walk.

It’s the oldest working astronomical clock on Earth—and the most dramatic. Credit: @AcademiaAesthe1
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Jul 25
Imagine writing a book so dangerous, it made priests seethe, historians argue, and politicians quote it in Parliament.

That’s what Edward Gibbon did in 1776.

He didn’t just tell the story of how Rome fell... He explained how all great civilizations rot from within. 🧵👇 Destruction by Thomas Cole (Course of Empires)
The Book: Six volumes of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

He began with one chilling idea:
Rome didn’t fall because of some invading army.
It fell because it lost the will to survive.

Citizens gave up their freedoms for comfort.
Leaders chose applause over duty.

And religion became a tool of power not virtue.The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Romans conquered most of this during the Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of effective sole rule in 27 BC. Credit: Enchanting Journeys
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But it was all a facade. The Roman Empire in 125 Map by User:Andrein - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
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You’ve been told Victorian social rules were stiff, outdated, and useless.

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Late arrivals weren’t quirky. They were rude.

Bring this back and maybe we stop wasting everyone’s time. Image
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Let’s be honest: swiping right doesn’t beat that. Image
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A unicorn, wounded and bleeding, hunted down… And yet still alive in the end. 🧵 "The Unicorn Rests in a Garden," also called "The Unicorn in Captivity," is the best-known of the Unicorn Tapestries.
This isn’t fantasy.

It’s a 500-year-old mystery woven into 7 tapestries, now at The Met Cloisters in New York.

The story?
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Killed.
Then somehow… resurrected.

No one agrees on what it means. The MET Cloisters, Upper Manhattan Credit: @Vicitracita
It begins in silence.

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Noblemen, hounds, and lances. No unicorn yet—just purpose.

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