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Plurality of Worlds: The Extraterrestrial Life Debate from Democritus to Kant

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In this exhaustive study, Dr. Dick traces the debate about other worlds, from it's origins among the atomists of ancient Greece, through Aristotle's apparent vanquishing of the idea, through medieval scholasticism, the Renaissance and finally into the eighteenth century. This was the era of natural philosophy, before the observational science of today was born. During this time, theoretical structures were created that allowed the existence of other world (and other Earths), or disallowed it, but the debate continued.

Indeed, I was surprised to learn that even during the medieval era, the discussion continued. In 1277, Etienne Tempier, the bishop of Paris, condemned the belief "that the First Cause cannot make many worlds." So, this book is a fascinating, if somewhat academic, look at the many worlds debate.