By: Kayley Seedath Edited by: Elin S.
Brampton, Ontario
In the cradle of Western civilization, where philosophy and democracy first took root, another remarkable legacy was quietly unfolding—the birth of systematic scientific inquiry. The Ancient Greeks were not just masters of art and literature; they were pioneering minds who laid the groundwork for much of what we understand about our world today.
"What are the building blocks of matter?"
"How can we explain the movements of celestial bodies?"
"What principles govern the natural world?"
From the bustling streets of Alexandria to the quiet halls of Athens' academies, Greek thinkers were asking fundamental questions that would echo through millennia. Their pursuit of these answers was not merely academic—it was revolutionary. Through their systematic observations and logical deductions, they established the foundations of mathematics, astronomy, physics, and medicine that we still build upon today. The Greek approach to understanding the universe through rational explanation rather than mythological interpretation marked a pivotal shift in human thinking. As we navigate today’s world of modern physics, space exploration, and medical breakthroughs, we must recognize that we stand on the shoulders of these ancient academic giants. Their achievements are not just historical footnotes; they are the cornerstones of scientific thought that continue to influence how we explore, discover, and innovate in the 21st century. Let us journey through time to uncover how these remarkable ancient minds shaped our present and continue to guide our future.
Ancient Greek Science Achievements include the application of systematic inquiry into the individual, the world, and the universe, which all began in Lonia in the 6th century BCE with Thales of Miletus (l. c. 585 BCE) and continued through the work of the astronomer Ptolemy (l. 100-170 CE) to form the foundation of modern scientific method. Ancient Greece made significant strides in the field of mathematics. Greek mathematicians laid the foundation for geometry, developing principles and theorems that remain influential to this day. Euclid’s work Elements provided a systematic and logical presentation of geometry, with rigorous proofs and definitions. Pythagoras introduced the famous Pythagorean theorem, relating the sides of a right-angled triangle. The Greeks also made advances in algebra and number theory. Their mathematical achievements were not just practical but also deeply abstract, contributing to the development of logical reasoning.
Ancient Greek physicians made notable contributions to the field of medicine, laying the foundation for scientific approaches to healing. Hippocrates, often called the “Father of Medicine,” revolutionized medical practice by shifting the focus from supernatural causes to natural explanations for diseases. He emphasized observation, documentation, and ethical principles in medicine. The Hippocratic Oath, a code of ethics for physicians, is still significant today.
Ancient Greek astronomers made significant strides in understanding the cosmos and laid the groundwork for later astronomical advancements. Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer of the 2nd century CE, presented a geocentric model of the universe in which the Earth was believed to be at the center, surrounded by celestial spheres. This model dominated Western thinking for over a millennium. Greek astronomers, including Aristarchus of Samos, proposed a heliocentric model, placing the Sun at the center of the solar system. Additionally, Greek astronomers also developed methods for predicting celestial events, observed and recorded the motions of the stars and planets, and laid the foundations of trigonometry. Their contributions paved the way for the scientific study of the universe.
THALES OF MILETUS
He was an Ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher who, like many philosophers who came after him, was influenced by the works of the Babylonians and Egyptians. He wanted to help develop these concepts to convey to the public and the individuals placed in them. Although many discussions of ancient Greek science begin with Hesiod (8th century BCE) and his calendar, he still held to the theistic explanation for how the world worked. Thales, while not denying the existence of the gods, explored the possibility that the world worked naturally on its own without them.
THE PRE-SOCRATIC GOALS
The goal of the early pre-Socratic philosophers was to find the First Cause of Existence, the basic stuff of the universe, from which everything else proceeded. From inquiries into the First Cause, the Pre-Socratics explored other aspects of the human condition, including one's purpose in life, the existence of an afterlife, and the nature of reality. Although it cannot be said that any of the Pre-Socratics, or many of those thinkers who came after them, applied the scientific method to their inquiries or were “scientists” in the modern understanding of that term, their efforts were a significant departure from how the Greeks understood themselves and the world, setting the stage for the development of scientific thought and method as those terms are understood today.
The works of the Pre-Socratics provided the foundation for Socrates, who applied their method of inquiry, observation, and conclusion to human behavior and ethics. Rather than accepting what one was taught, Socrates said, one should question every claim to determine its truth and, further, whether one was living truly or only according to the script one had been taught to learn by others. Plato (l. 424/423-348/347 BCE) systematized the Socratic Method (or invented it) through his dialogues depicting various characters in conversation with Socrates through which a reader is forced to confront questions on the nature of life and one's response to it.
Although Aristotle and Theophrastus are often cited as early scientists, they, like the Pre-Socratics, also fail to live up to the modern definition as characterized by the seven steps of the scientific method:
Question
Research
Hypothesis
Experiment
Analysis
Conclusion
Communication of Results
They, like their predecessors, moved directly from hypothesis to conclusion, and, in many instances where they did engage in experimentation, their conclusions were incorrect. Even so, their work continued to build a body of information others could draw upon in forming their claims and conclusions. Even when Aristotle was wrong, he at least engaged with the subject matter accepting the others’ conclusions.
Even though a substantial number of these thinkers and writers might not fit the modern definition of the “scientist,” they were all engaged in the same pursuit as any using the scientific method today: ascertaining and defining truth. In discussing the Pre-Socratics, Waterfield gives five “scientific attitudes” one would need to hold to be considered a scientist. The list reads, in part:
The optimistic assumption is that the world and its components are comprehensible.
The assumption is that the human rational mind is the correct tool for understanding the world.
Adherence to a particular set of approaches to problem-solving.
Tempered curiosity: although curiosity about the world is essential for the scientist, it must not be allowed to lead the investigator into hasty hypotheses or extravagant leaps of the imagination.
A love of and facility with abstract concepts.
Pre-Socratics exhibit some or all of the above, and those who came after them even more so. The works of ancient Greek experimenters, observers, thinkers, and writers—those often referred to today as “scientists” or “proto-scientists "changed the way the people of their time saw the world and established a way for those in the future to understand their own. The Almagest written by the astronomer, Claudius Ptolemy, had the most influential astronomical work until the Early Modern Era, providing the foundation for On the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres by Nicolaus Copernicus (l. 1473-1543), inspiring the Scientific Revolution, which shaped and continues to inform the modern world daily.
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