what was aristotles contribution to physics

Full Answer

What are 5 facts about Aristotle?

Less known, Amazing & Interesting Facts About Aristotle

1. Most Intelligent Man. Despite the fact that it’s been a very long time from 322 B.C. ...
2. Birth. Though we now know it as northern Greece, there did exist a time when it went by the name Macedonia.
3. Nobility. Being a king is fun but being just nobility is better. ...
4. Like Mother Like Daughter. ...
5. The Son. ...
6. His Father. ...
7. Second Love. ...
8. Owner. ...
9. The New Town. ...
10. Athens it is! ...

What did Aristotle contribute to physics?

What did Aristotle contribute to physics? Contributions in Physics He embraced Empedocles' view on the make-up of the universe that everything was created from different compositions of the four fundamental elements: earth, water, air, and fire.

What are contributions Aristotle made to mathematics?

• Many scholars today seem to hold to a view that for Aristotle if one can speak of X qua Y, then X must be Y precisely. ...
• To increase the number of instances of exact triangles in the ontology, some scholars turn to Met. ...
• Alternatively, it is arguable that Aristotle allows that ‘ X is Y ’ may be true only imprecisely. ...

More items...

What major contributions did Aristotle contribute to astronomy?

Aristotle was a student of Plato, and a teacher of Alexander the Great. As a philosopher, he made many contributions to a variety of subjects. Aristotle's contribution to astronomy lies in his codification and extension of previous theories and speculations about the movements of celestial bodies. Like his teacher Plato, Aristotle believed that ...

What branch of philosophy did Aristotle call metaphysics?

Metaphysics, however, is notably absent from Aristotle’s classification; indeed, he never uses the word, which first appears in the posthumous catalog of his writings as a name for the works listed after the Physics. He does, however, recognize the branch of philosophy now called metaphysics: he calls it “ first philosophy ” and defines it as ...

What are the three groups of Aristotle's metaphysics?

metaphysics. of Aristotle. Aristotle divided the theoretical sciences into three groups: physics, mathematics, and theology. Physics as he understood it was equivalent to what would now be called “natural philosophy,” or the study of nature ( physis ); in this sense it encompasses not only the modern field of physics but also biology, chemistry, ...

Why can't time be composed of indivisible moments?

Time cannot be composed of indivisible moments, because between any two moments there is always a period of time. Likewise, an atom of motion would in fact have to be an atom of rest.

What is the abiding value of physics?

The abiding value of treatises such as the Physics lies not in their particular scientific assertions but in their philosophical analyses of some of the concepts that pervade the physics of different eras—concept s such as place, time, causation, and determinism.

Who was the first person to see the cosmos?

Aristotle ’s vision of the cosmos also owes much to Plato’s dialogue Timaeus. As in that work, the Earth is at the centre of the universe, and around it the Moon, the Sun, and the other planets revolve in a succession of concentric crystalline spheres.

How do we perceive motion and time together?

Nonetheless, Aristotle says, “we perceive motion and time together.”. One observes how much time has passed by observing the process of some change. In particular, for Aristotle, the days, months, and years are measured by observing the Sun, the Moon, and the stars upon their celestial travels.

What is the meaning of physics in Aristotle?

It is a collection of treatises or lessons that deals with the most general (philosophical) principles of natural or moving things, both living and non-living, rather than physical theories (in the modern sense) or investigations of the particular contents of the universe.

What is the difference between Aristotle's physics and modern physics?

Aristotelian "physics" is different from what we mean today by this word, not only to the extent that it belongs to antiquity whereas the modern physical sciences belong to modernity, rather above all it is different by virtue of the fact that Aristotle's "physics" is philosophy, whereas modern physics is a positive science that presupposes a philosophy.... This book determines the warp and woof of the whole of Western thinking, even at that place where it, as modern thinking, appears to think at odds with ancient thinking. But opposition is invariably comprised of a decisive, and often even perilous, dependence. Without Aristotle's Physics there would have been no Galileo.

What is a recension in physics?

Recensions of Physics in the ancient Greek. A recension is a selection of a specific text for publication. The manuscripts on a given work attributed to Aristotle offer textual variants. One recension makes a selection of one continuous text, but typically gives notes stating the alternative sections of text.

What is Aristotle's approach to nature?

Book I introduces Aristotle's approach to nature, which is to be based on principles, causes, and elements. Before offering his particular views, he engages previous theories, such as those offered by Melissus and Parmenides. Aristotle's own view comes out in Ch. 7 where he identifies three principles: substances, opposites, and privation.

What is the most difficult chapter in Aristotle's work?

Chapters 3 and 4 are among the most difficult in all of Aristotle's works and involve subtle refutations of the thought of Parmenides, Melissus and Anaxagoras. In chapter 5, he continues his review of his predecessors, particularly how many first principles there are.

What is matter in Aristotle's thought?

Matter in Aristotle's thought is, however, defined in terms of sensible reality; for example, a horse eats grass: the horse changes the grass into itself; the grass as such does not persist in the horse, but some aspect of it – its matter – does.

What does the Greek title "Aristotle" mean?

In the conventional Andronicean ordering of Aristotle's works, it stands at the head of, as well as being foundational to, the long series of physical, cosmological and biological treatises, whose ancient Greek title, τὰ φυσικά, means "the [writings] on nature" or " natural philosophy ".

What was Aristotle's contribution to science?

One of Aristotle's most persistent contributions to science, and indeed the core of his physics, was his theory of the elements, which endured until the end of the eighteenth century and the dawn of the chemical revolution. Apart from astronomy, the theory of the elements was the core of ancient natural philosophy.

What did Aristotle do to science?

Rather than merely collect isolated facts, he posed fundamental questions about nature and the methods needed to study it. Physics in the Aristotelian sense was a fundamental understanding of matter, change, causality, time, and space, all of which had to be consistent with logic and experience. From this he derived a cosmology that allowed him to explain all phenomena from everyday life to astronomy, including both natural phenomena and technology .

How old was Aristotle when he moved to Athens?

Aristotle lived in a time of extreme political turbulence that deeply influenced his life. When the 17-year old Macedonian moved to Athens to enroll at the famous Academy of Plato (c.428–c.348 BC), the city-state had lost its former political hegemony, but still had an international reputation in education.

What is Aristotle's systematic approach?

Unlike other philosophers, who presented their views in aphorisms or narratives, Aristotle developed a systematic approach. For each issue, he first collected all the views and arguments by his predecessors, which makes his work a rich source for historical studies.

What was Aristotle's school called?

Under Alexander the Great 's rule, Aristotle returned to Athens at the age of 49 to found a new school called the Lyceum. When Alexander died only 13 years later and his huge empire fell apart, Aristotle left for Chalcis, where he died shortly afterward. Aristotle's intellectual work was truly encyclopedic.

Why was mathematics important to Aristotle?

For Aristotle and his followers, mathematics was clearly distinct from physics, because it described nature in purely numerical terms. The task of physics was to explain nature. Aristotle's approach is still appealing today because of his straightforward reasoning.

Where did Aristotle go when Plato died?

When his patron Plato died in 347 BC and Athens declared war against Macedonia, Aristotle left for the city of Assos in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), where he led a group of philosophers.

What did Aristotle contribute to the world?

In spite of his limitations, Aristotle made some remarkable contributions to physics and laid the groundwork for Galileo, Newton, and Einstein.

Why are Aristotle's lectures important?

His lectures notes are important as they not only show clearly his reasoning but they preserve many of the ideas of his contemporaries. (4, 5) Physics: In his work, Physics, (6) Aristotle examined the nature of matter, space, time, and motion. He had few tools for experimentation and could not measure time or speeds.

What is the meaning of the word "force" in Aristotle?

Reading Aristotle reminds one of reading Einstein. He takes the simplest of observations and in it discovers fundamental truths. Force is a push or a pull. A horse can pull a cart and the cart pulls back on the horse and when the horse stops, the cart stops.

What would Aristotle's work make?

The development of an idea from Aristotle to the present would make physics more interesting and understandable. (2) Aristotle’s works are reconstructions from fragmentary notes.

What was Galileo's experiment with falling bodies?

Galileo’s experiment with falling bodies is considered as one of the ten greatest experiments of all time. He showed that a small weight fell from the Tower of Pisa at the same rate as one ten times as heavy. This was considered by some to be a triumph of Galileo’s kinematics over the simple empiricism of Aristotle.

Why do planets move in circles?

The Moon and planets move around the Earth in circular orbits but must move in circles within circles to explain the variance observed in their orbits. The stars are fixed spheres that rotate around the Earth and the Universe must be finite else the stars at the outer edge would have to move at infinite speed.

What is Einstein's theory of relativity?

He reasoned that infinite velocities could not exist, that time and movement are continuous and inseparable, and that time was even flowing, infinite, and the same everywhere at once. These are all true and a part of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Some consider that Aristotle’s greatest contribution to physics was his description of time.

What did Aristotle use to study nature?

But unlike Plato and Socrates, Aristotle displayed an instinct to use scientific and factual reasoning in his study of nature, a trait his predecessors routinely discarded in favor of their philosophical thoughts.

Who is Aristotle in Greek?

Born in 384 BC in Stagira, a small town on the northern coast of Greece, Aristotle is arguably one of the most well-known figures in the history of ancient Greece. He was a popular pupil of famous ancient Greek philosopher Plato. But unlike Plato and Socrates, Aristotle displayed an instinct to use scientific and factual reasoning in his study ...

How long has Aristotle been alive?

It has been more than 2,300 years since the last day of the Aristotelian era in ancient Greece yet the research and work of Aristotle remain as influential today as it ever was. From fields that lean towards structurally scientific orientation such as physics and biology, to the very minute details about the nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, his multitudinous all-round contributions truly make him one of the most influential people in human history.

What did Aristotle mean by the genus of a living being?

Aristotle meant the genus of a living being to represent its collective family/group as a whole.

When did Aristotle write his poetry?

Many of the records of Aristotle’s views on art and poetry, much like many other documents of his philosophical and literary works, were composed around 330 BC. Most of these exist and survive to this day because they were duly noted down and preserved by his pupils during his lectures.

Did Aristotle study physics?

It is true that while Aristotle established new frontiers in the field of life sciences, his ventures into physics fall short by comparison. His studies in physics seem to have been highly influenced by pre-established ideas of contemporary and earlier Greek thinkers. For instance, in his treatises On Generation and Corruption and On the Heavens, the world set-up he described had many similarities with propositions made by some pre-Socratic era theorists. He embraced Empedocles’ view on the make-up of the universe that everything was created from different compositions of the four fundamental elements: earth, water, air, and fire.

Where is Aristotle's statue?

Aristotle, marble bust with a restored nose, Roman copy of a Greek original, last quarter of the 4th century bce. In the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Courtesy of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

What was the name of the study of formal logic?

He invented the study of formal logic, devising for it a finished system, known as syllogistic, that was considered the sum of the discipline until the 19th century; his work in zoology, both observational and theoretical, also was not surpassed until the 19th century. His ethical and political theory, especially his conception ...

What did Aristotle contribute to the world?

Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist who is widely considered to be one of the greatest thinkers in history. Moreover, along with Plato, he is considered the “Father of Western Philosophy”. During his lifetime, Aristotle wrote extensively making noteworthy contributions to numerous fields including physical sciences such as astronomy, anatomy, embryology, geology, geography, meteorology, zoology and physics. In the field of philosophy, Aristotle wrote about ethics, aesthetics government, politics, metaphysics, economics, rhetoric, psychology and theology. He also studied fine arts making significant contributions to subjects such as literature, poetry, drama and rhetoric. In many of these numerous fields, the works of Aristotle had an immense influence for almost two millennia making him one of the most influential people in the history of mankind. Moreover, Aristotle continues to influence some of these fields even in the modern era. Know more about the contributions of Aristotle through his 10 major accomplishments.

What did Aristotle write about?

In the field of philosophy, Aristotle wrote about ethics, aesthetics government, politics, metaphysics, economics, rhetoric, psychology and theology. He also studied fine arts making significant contributions to subjects such as literature, poetry, drama and rhetoric. In many of these numerous fields, the works of Aristotle had an immense influence ...

How did Aristotle use money?

He states that it came into use for the sake of convenience as people agreed to deal in something that is intrinsically useful and easily applicable, like iron or silver. Aristotle’s predecessor Plato believed in a communist social order where material things are held in common. Aristotle argued against this stating that this would lead to animosity among the citizens as people would feel that they didn’t receive what was rightly theirs; and reward would not be proportionate to work. Also, in contrast to Plato, Aristotle defended the right to private property. He saw property rights as an incentive mechanism where individuals would keep the fruits of his labor. Aristotle saw wealth creation as a mean to the ends of truth and virtue. He was against wealth becoming an end in itself rather than something subservient to a higher purpose. He was also against retail and interest. He believed that retail trade was done to make profit rather than procuring essential things; while interest was unnatural as it made a gain out of the money itself, and not from its use.

What is the soul of Aristotle?

Building upon the works of earlier philosophers, Aristotle wrote one of the earliest comprehensive texts in psychology. Titled De Anima (On The Soul), the focus of the text is not spiritual but bio-psychological, the study of psychology within a biological framework. The term soul in the text may be better translated as life-force. According to Aristotle, animals and plants also have souls like humans. Plants have a vegetative soul, which comprises the powers of growth, nutrition and reproduction. In addition to this, animals have a sensitive soul, which comprises the powers of perception and locomotion. In addition to the above two, humans also possess a rational soul, which comprises of the powers of reason and thought. Aristotle was one of the first to examine the impulses that drove life stating that the urge to reproduce (‘Libido’) was the overriding impulse of all living things and this was derived from the vegetative or plant soul. Alongside libido, human actions were also determined by ‘Id’ and ‘Ego’. Aristotle’s work in psychology was unchallenged for many years and it determined the history of the subject. Moreover, many of his proposals continue to influence modern psychologists.

How many species of animals did Aristotle identify?

In his works, Aristotle names around 500 species of bird, mammal and fish; he distinguishes dozens of insects and other invertebrates; and describes the internal anatomy of over a hundred animals, of which he dissected around 35.

What is Aristotle's main focus in metaphysics?

The primary focus of Aristotle in Metaphysics is the nature of existence; how things exist while undergoing change in the natural world; and how this world can be understood. The Metaphysics is regarded as one of the greatest philosophical works.

Which philosopher wrote the first literary theory?

Poetics by Aristotle. Poetics is a work by Aristotle that is the earliest surviving work of dramatic theory and also the first surviving western philosophical treatise to focus on literary theory, the systematic study of the nature of literature.

Overview

Description of the content

The Physics is composed of eight books, which are further divided into chapters. This system is of ancient origin, now obscure. In modern languages, books are referenced with Roman numerals, standing for ancient Greek capital letters (the Greeks represented numbers with letters, e.g. A for 1). Chapters are identified by Arabic numerals, but the use of the English word "chapter" is strictly conventional. Ancient "chapters" (capita) are generally very short, often less than a page. Additio…

The meaning of physics in Aristotle

Significance to philosophy and science in the modern world

See also

Bibliography

Further reading

External links