上句见：Day71
The Story of Philosophy的第72句：第1章Plato第1节The Context of Plato第5段第4句：

Traditions and dogmas rub one another down to a minimum in such centers of varied intercourse; where there are a thousand faiths we are apt to become skeptical of them all. Probably the traders were the first sceptic; they had seen too much to believe too much; and the general disposition of merchants to classify all men as either fools or knaves inclined them to question every creed. Gradually, too, they were developing science; mathematics grew with the increasing audacity of navigation. The growth of wealth brought the leisure and security which are the prerequisite of research and speculation; men now asked the stars not only for guidance on the seas but as well for an answer to the riddles of the universe; the first Greek philosophers were astronomers. “Around of their achievement,” says Aristotle, “men pushed farther afield after the Persian wars; they took all knowledge for their province, and sought ever wider studies.” Men grew bold enough to attempt natural explanations of processes and events before attributed to supernatural agencies and powers; magic and ritual slowly gave way to science and control; and philosophy began.
浙江大学版本：日益增多的财富让一部分人有了闲情逸趣，也为他们着手研究与猜想作了一定的准备：这些人瞭望星空只为知晓四海之方向，他们更希望求得对无限宇宙之谜的一份了解；古希腊第一批哲人就是天文学家。

解析

这句剖析了财富增长如何为哲学思考提供基础条件，同时指出了早期希腊哲学家与天文学家之间的联系。

下面是对这句话的拆分理解：
1、The growth of wealth brought the leisure and security：财富带来了空闲及安全感。根据马斯洛的需求理论，生理需求是最底层的，一旦满足了就会寻求安全、社交、尊重及自我实现需求。财富带来食物及睡眠等维持生命和身体机能的需求，就有时间及安全感。

2、which are the prerequisite of research and speculation：which引导的定语从句来说明研究与猜想的前提就是which所指代的leisure and security。有时间有安全感，研究及猜想的目的性就不会再局限于实用中，不再关注是否有利，由短期利益转向长期利益，由有限竞争策略转向无限竞争策略。

3、men now asked the stars not only for guidance on the seas but as well for an answer to the riddles of the universe;：这里对第一部分的举例拓展：人类观察星星不再是为航海，更是为了寻求宇宙之谜的答案。

4、 the first Greek philosophers were astronomers.**：更进一步得出一个结论早期希腊哲学本身就是天文学家。

总之，这个由分号隔开的句子从经济基础推到了哲学，即经济基础——空闲时间及安全感——研究与猜想——宇宙之迷——哲学家。

财富带来了空闲及安全感，这是研究与思考的前提条件。人们观察星星不仅是为了海航的导航，更是为了寻找宇宙奥秘的答案。早期希腊哲学家曾经都是天文学家。