Aristotle
To the modern reader, 's views on astronomy, as presented in Metaphysics, Physics, De Caelo (On the Heavens) and Simplicius' Commentary, will most likely seem very bizarre, as they are based more on a priori philosophical speculation than empirical observation. Although acknowledged the importance of "scientific" astronomy - the study of the positions, distances and motions of the stars - he nevertheless treated astronomy in the abstract, linking it to his overall philosophical world picture. As a result, the modern distinction between physics and metaphysics is not present in , and in order to fully appreciate him we must try to abandon this pre-conception. argued that the universe is ...
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just as he now observes the planets as moving, that is from a stationary earth. However, since this is not the case, the earth must be at rest. To prove that the earth is a sphere, he produced the argument that all earthly substances move towards the center, and thus would eventually have to form a sphere. He also used evidence based on observation. If the earth were not spherical, lunar eclipses would not show segments with a curved outline. Furthermore, when one travels northward or southward, one does not see the same stars at night, nor do they occupy the same positions in the sky. (De Caelo, Book II, chapter 14) That the celestial bodies must also be spherical in shape, can be determined by observation. In the case of the stars, argued that they would have to be spherical, as this shape, which is the most perfect, allows them to retain their positions. (De Caelo, Book II, chapter 11) By 's time, Empedocles' view that there are four basic elements - earth, air, fire and water - ...
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Aristotle. (2007, June 1). Retrieved April 19, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Aristotle/65766
"Aristotle." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 1 Jun. 2007. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Aristotle/65766>
"Aristotle." Essayworld.com. June 1, 2007. Accessed April 19, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Aristotle/65766.
"Aristotle." Essayworld.com. June 1, 2007. Accessed April 19, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Aristotle/65766.
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