Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Democritus and Aristotle


 



Democritus
    
 Life
     -born in the city of Abdera in Thrace
     -followed in the tradition of Leucippus
     - attempted to explain the world without the presuppositions of purposeprime mover, or final cause
     -Democritus' father was so wealthy that he received Xerxes on his march through Abdera
     -spent the inheritance which his father left him on travels into distant countries, to satisfy his thirst for knowledge
     - Known as the "Laughing Philosopher"


Contributions
     - Billiard ball model / Hard ball
     - All matter that make up the world is composed of tiny invisible particles
     - From the word greek "Atomos" or "Atom" which means "incut"  
     -The atom cannot be divided
       
Billiard ball preview


Aristotle 
Life
     - born in Stageira, Chalcidice, in 384 BC, about 55 km (34 mi) east of modern-day Thessaloniki
     - His father Nicomachus was the personal physician to King Amyntas of Macedon
     - trained and educated as a member of the aristocracy
     - invited by Philip II of Macedon to become the tutor to his son Alexander the Great in 343 BC
     - appointed as the head of the royal academy of Macedon
     - studied anatomy, astronomy, embryology, geography, geology, meteorology, physics and zoology


Contribution
     - together with Plato had a more respected theory compared to Democritus, although this was ultimately wrong
     - Believed in only 4 elements: Air, Fire, Water and Earth
     - Used this approach to the nature of matter 
Aristotle's atomic model

No comments:

Post a Comment