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Greek Influence

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Words 813
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Gretchel M. Quinones
HUMA 101
WORK SHOP 4
Essay
Ricardo Serano

Greek science and math the influence:
Development of Science
Long time ago, people lacked knowledge on why certain things happened. Without scientific answers, like we have today, the Ancient Greeks created their own answers about the world and an individual’s place in it. By doing the research for this essay I had learn a lot of the Greeks contribution in science and math methods.
Science in Ancient Greece was based on logical thinking and mathematics. It was also based on technology and everyday life. The arts in Ancient Greece were sculptors and painters. The Greeks wanted to know more about the world, the heavens and themselves. People studied about the sky, sun, moon, and the planets. The Greeks found that the earth was round. Many important people contributed to Greek scientific thought and discoveries. Biology, a very vast and interesting topic, was studied by Hippocrates, Aristotle, Theophrastus, Dioscorides, Pliny, and Galen. These men were among the main researchers of Greek biology who contributed many ideas, theories, and discoveries to science. Some of their discoveries were observations, descriptions, and classifications of the various forms of plants and animal life. Other discussions in biology were natural selection and zoology.
All living things were the basic concern of biology. Greek biologists were interested in how living things began, how they developed, how they functioned, and where they were found. These sorts of questions that ran through the biologists' minds are exactly how they began to discover the basics of life. At such an early time, about 300 B.C., science was just beginning to enter the minds of the Greeks. Aristotle, a Greek biologist, made contributions of his own to science. However, around 300 B.C. there was much more to be discovered, which enabled other scientists to add knowledge to the discoveries of Aristotle, during and after his time.
Aristotle created the scientific method. This method is the steps a you need to take to solve an experiment. Aristotle was more interested in science then Socrates or Plato. This is because Aristotle's father was a famous doctor in Athens. Aristotle classified many plants and animals. One of Aristotle's beliefs was to take the chaotic natural world and impose a man-made order on it. When Alexander was traveling all through Western Asia he sent his messengers to Aristotle with strange plants for Aristotle to study. Aristotle also created a classification system of monarchies, oligarchies, tyrannies, democracies and republics which we still use today. When Alexander died there was a revolt against Macedonian rule. Aristotle was accused of being secretly on the side of the Macedonians. Aristotle was certainly not a democrat like Plato. Aristotle fled to the north where he spent the rest of his days. Aristotle's creation of the scientific method was very important. We still use the scientific method today.
Development of mathematics:
The earliest records of mathematics show it arising in response to practical needs in agriculture, business, and industry. In Egypt and Mesopotamia, where evidence dates from the 2d and 3d millennia B.C., it was used for surveying and mensuration; estimates of the value of PI are found in both locations. There is some evidence of similar developments in India and China during this same period, but few records have survived. This early mathematics is generally empirical, arrived at by trial and error as the best available means for obtaining results, with no proofs given. However, it is now known that the Babylonians were aware of the necessity of proofs prior to the Greeks, who had been presumed the originators of this important step.
A profound change occurred in the nature and approach to mathematics with the contributions of the Greeks. The earlier (Hellenic) period is represented by Thales (6th cent. B.C.), Pythagoras, Plato, and Aristotle, and by the schools associated with them. The Pythagorean theorem, known earlier in Mesopotamia, was discovered by the Greeks during this period.

A profound change occurred in the nature and approach to mathematics with the contributions of the Greeks. The earlier (Hellenic) period is represented by Thales (6th cent. B.C,Pitagora, Plato and Greece has left legacies of governmental systems, cultures and arts, and science and technology.
To my understanding Greeks did a great contribution to the whole world by discovering the science and the needs of math that helps our society a lot and have improve the world for a better knowledge and great improvement to our society in which we use in our every day basics.

References:
N/A. (n.d.). greeks math and science. Retrieved from http://www.historylink102.com/greece3/math-science.htm
N/A. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0859534.html
N/A. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/sirrobhitch.suffolk/portland state university greek civilization home page

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