I'd think the moon went in front of the sun. Then I'd wonder if the sun can go in front of the moon, too.
I'd probably have a pretty bullshit explanation for why this was happening, which was contingent on the beliefs of the society I belonged to. But if that explanation does not allow for the what of what's happening to be "the moon went in front of the sun" then the person who believes that is unrecognizable as being me.
Do you really think that if you witnessed a total solar eclipse without any prior knowledge such a thing could happen that you would realize it was the moon in the way? Personally I don't think I'd have figured that one out, especially if I also lived in a society that didn't know how far away the sun and moon were or even roughly what shape the solar system is. Like if we were in ancient Greece or China or whatever sure, but cavemen? Pre-agriculture? I feel like I'd sooner think the sun just stopped being "on fire" or whatever for a while than assume that the moon was in the way
Yeah, I'd probably figure both were physical objects, at least as large as mountains, pretty far away. There's no way I'd guess anywhere near the actual enormous sizes and distances. But the rest of the world is made of physical objects, so that would be what I'd expect of the sun and moon. Thinking that way is pretty core to who I am, and I would gravitate towards that even if it made me peculiar in my society, and if it's too far from the bounds of what a person in that society is able to believe then, like I said, that's just not identifiable as me anymore.
I'd think the moon went in front of the sun. Then I'd wonder if the sun can go in front of the moon, too.
I'd probably have a pretty bullshit explanation for why this was happening, which was contingent on the beliefs of the society I belonged to. But if that explanation does not allow for the what of what's happening to be "the moon went in front of the sun" then the person who believes that is unrecognizable as being me.
Do you really think that if you witnessed a total solar eclipse without any prior knowledge such a thing could happen that you would realize it was the moon in the way? Personally I don't think I'd have figured that one out, especially if I also lived in a society that didn't know how far away the sun and moon were or even roughly what shape the solar system is. Like if we were in ancient Greece or China or whatever sure, but cavemen? Pre-agriculture? I feel like I'd sooner think the sun just stopped being "on fire" or whatever for a while than assume that the moon was in the way
You can literally look up in the sky and see the moon and figure out what it's been up to
Yeah, I'd probably figure both were physical objects, at least as large as mountains, pretty far away. There's no way I'd guess anywhere near the actual enormous sizes and distances. But the rest of the world is made of physical objects, so that would be what I'd expect of the sun and moon. Thinking that way is pretty core to who I am, and I would gravitate towards that even if it made me peculiar in my society, and if it's too far from the bounds of what a person in that society is able to believe then, like I said, that's just not identifiable as me anymore.