preview

Aristotle's Influence On The Western World

Better Essays

Out of all the great philosophers who have lived and taught, none can match the genius that is Aristotle. He provided the foundations for medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and even came up with a scientific vocabulary that is still being used to this day. Furthermore, because of Aristotle’s influence on the western world, it’s not surprising that Europe had arguably some of the brightest minds of the time; minds like Strato of Lampsacus, Archimedes, and Peter Abelard. Without Aristotle’s tutelage, none of these men would’ve reached their full potential. Consequently, this could have thrown the very fabric of history and the world into an intellectual dark age much sooner and, which would’ve lasted much longer. Even the Platonic philosophers would not have been able to fill the void the absence of Aristotelian …show more content…

He studied sciences and mathematics in the Mouseion among Strato’s pupils in Alexandria. It was here where Archimedes would make his first contribution to society (but certainty not his last). Archimedes’s invention of the Water Screw enabled the rest of the Nile delta that was uphill to be irrigated. His invention is still being used in some parts of Egypt to this day. When he returned to Syracuse he continued his studies of hydraulics and invented the subject of hydrostatics (the study of still water). Archimedes was also interested in geometry, and even used Aristotelian logic and reasoning to prove that Plato’s claim, which states that “It is possible to form a sphere out of a series of triangles or pentagons” was false. Archimedes continued to come up with more inventions and scientific breakthroughs, dazzling the people of Syracuse with his discoveries; most of which, would not have been possible without the influence of Aristotle. However, in 214 BC the city would come under siege by the Romans, but Archimedes would not give up without a

Get Access