Underground Rivers - University of New Mexico

Chapter 2 -- Greek Philosophers
At age 17, Aristotle (384-322 BC) enrolled in the Academy where
the master soon called him the "mind of the school." Aristotle
remained at the Academy until Plato's death, after which Aristotle
became a teacher himself, spending two years studying marine
biology on Lesbos where he recognized dolphins as mammals.
Italian Banknote, “The School of Athens” by Raphael (1483-1520)
Plato and Aristotle stand at the center. Plato (on the left) is
modeled after da Vinci, another underground-river scholar with
whom we will come to be relentlessly acquainted in Chapter 7,
The Concept of Circulation.
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An equally-unlikely
representation of Aristotle,
André Thevet's “Les Vrais
Pourtraits et Vies Hommes
Illustres” (1584). The
philosopher in
Reminiscence garb may
not be that far-fetched,
however, as he'd only
grown more popular.
In contrast to Plato's emphasis on the abstract, Aristotle's reality was derived through the senses.
The world is comprised of individuals grouped into fixed kind -- “speciation” to a modern biologist.
Each individual has an inherent pattern of development toward a group-defined self-realization.
Growth, purpose, and direction are thus built into nature. Humankind’s purpose is to reason.
Zoology rested on Aristotle's foundation until Charles Darwin disputed the fixity of species in
1859.
The earth and the heavens are subject to unlike natural laws -- earthly things are changeable and
corrupt, while the heavens are permanent. The regenerative process keeps the decaying earth in
equilibrium within an eternal universe. Nature’s purpose is to maintain balance and Aristotle’s
interest was that of finding the predefined function teleology each component.
Matter is of four sensible qualities: cold, hot, wet and dry. We will see the geophysical
implications of transmutation in Chapter 8; it opens up a multitude of explanatory possibilities.
Aristotle’s factor of tens (“decuplo”) established that proportionality 1:10:100:1000 for earth,
water, air and fire, respectively.
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