'Aristotle and Meteorology Essay\r'

'Introduction: Aristotle wrote about m any heart-to-hearts that can be grouped into five widely distri buted divisions: logic, physical kit and caboodle, psychological works, natural history works, and philosophical works. One of the little known physical works concerned meteorology. Aristotle’s descrys on meteorology atomic flesh 18 fascinating, but many of the views were not accurate. This paper comp atomic number 18s except a few of his views to actual meteorological circumstances. I. narration A. Birth and growth B. Influence on literature II. Basis of Aristotle’s meteorology A. Elements and possible action B. knowledge and facts III. Water drying up and precipitation A. Aristotle’s view B. Science and fact.\r\nIV. convolutes A. Aristotle’s view B. Science and fact Conclusion: Aristotle explained the various meteorological phenomenon in simple terms. The explanations married person his theory of how matter and shape were inter relate. Ar istotle’s ideas on water drying up and precipitation were landably accurate, considering that at that place were no tools to measure the atmosphere in his time. His views on wind, however, were not accurate at exclusively. He wrote extensively on winds, but never richly dig how wind occurred. September 5, 2000 Aristotle on weather forecasting Aristotle was born in 384 BC, at Stagirus, a Hellenic colony on the Aegean Sea most Macedonia.\r\nIn 367 BC, Aristotle entered the Academy at capital of Greece and analyse under Plato, attending his lectures for a period of cardinal years. In the later years of his association with Plato and the Academy, he began to lecture on his own account, especi on the wholey on the subject of rhetoric. When Plato died in 347, Aristotle and an opposite of Plato’s students, Xenocrates, left wing Athens for Assus, and place up an academy ( cyclopaedia 2). In 342, Aristotle returned to Macedonia and became the tutor to a precise y oung black lovage the Great. He did this for the next five to seven years.\r\n twain Philip and Alexander appear to have paid Aristotle eminent honor. There atomic number 18 stories that indicate the Macedonian appeal supplied Aristotle with funds for teaching, and with slaves to collect specimens for his studies in natural cognition (Encyclopedia 4). Aristotle returned to Athens when Alexander the Great began his conquests. He year the Platonic school flourishing under Xenocrates, and reality the dominant ism of Athens (Encyclopedia 5). Aristotle thus set up his own school at a place c altogethered the Lyceum. When teaching at the Lyceum, Aristotle had a fit out of walking about as he discoursed.\r\nIt was be compositors case of this that his chase became known in later years as the peripatetics, meaning, â€Å"to walk about” (Shakian 126). For the next thirteen years, he devoted his energies to his teaching and composing his philosophical treatises. His psychiat ric hospital integrated extensive equipment, including maps and the largest library collection in Europe. He is said to have given dickens kinds of lectures: the more detailed discussions in the morning for an home(a) circle of advanced students, and the popular discourses in the eventide for the general body of lovers of knowledge.\r\nAt the sudden death of Alexander in 323 BC, the pro-Macedonian government in Athens was overthrown, and a general reaction occurred against anything Macedonian. A taper of impiety was trumped up against Aristotle. To escape prosecution he fled to Chalcis in Euboea so that (Aristotle says) â€Å"The Athenians might not have another opportunity of sinning against philosophy as they had already done in the mortal of Socrates” (Encyclopedia 5). In the first year of his residence at Chalcis he complained of a stomach disease and died in 322 BC (Encyclopedia 7). One of Aristotle’s writings is about meteorology.\r\nHis theories are based on his judgment that all objects in the world are be of form and matter and the world is arranged harmonize to the relative standing each object occupies in the universe (Shakian 127). This basis led to his theory that any motion was from the center or to the center (Encyclopedia 28). Aristotle motto the universe as a scale guile between the two extremes: form without matter on one end, and matter without form on the other end. Additionally, he believed all matter is made of 4 bodies: fire, air, water, and soil (Encyclopedia 29).\r\nWith this information as a basis, it is no wonder that any remaining theories would probably be incorrect. Scientific fact cannot disprove that all objects are of form and matter. Any one can reserve or disagree with that philosophy. However, scientific fact does fork out that movement can occur in directions out from the center or toward the center. For example, solar radiation from the temperateness does not travel in direct lines to or from a center. Some of the radiation scatters into space. Some is reflects from the reality’s surface and is lost into space (Lutgens 37-43).\r\n striving molecules do not move toward or absent from a center. Air particles move in an multitudinous number of directions due to molecule size, shape, weight and composition. Finally, Aristotle’s theory that matter is made of four bodies is dramatically short sighted. Air is a mixture of at least nine different components and is constantly ever-changing in composition. Nitrogen and oxygen make up nearly 99% of the volume of dry air. Of all the components of air, carbon dioxide is the most interest to meteorologists (Lutgens 5). In all fairness, Aristotle had no way to measure or read the exact components of the atmosphere.\r\nIn book 1, part 3 of Aristotle’s meteorology, Aristotle describes his explanation of water vapor. His explanation describes the playing area between the surface of the earth and the visible atom of the milky vogue. It is important to note that he views the whitish Way as a plane or upper level surface (Aristotle, â€Å" meteorology” 253). Aristotle is very close down to a scientific answer when he deduced â€Å"that what immediately surrounds the earth is not mere air, but a sort of vapour, and that its vaporous nature is the reason why it condenses back to water again” (Aristotle, â€Å" meteorology” 253).\r\nHis logic is interesting when he indicates that this expanse of a body cannot be fire â€Å"for then all the rest would have dried up” (Aristotle â€Å"Meteorology” 254). In part 9, Aristotle addressed the issue of precipitation. He explained that air condensing into water becomes a cloud. blot out is what cadaver when a cloud condenses into water. He advertize explained that when water falls in small drops, it is drizzle, and when the drops are larger, it is called rainfall (Aristotle â€Å"Meteorology” 267). This is one area where Aristotle was close to accurate. One flaw is his view of the Milky Way as a flat plane.\r\nScience has shown that the Milky Way is just one of an infinite number of star galaxies. Aristotle realized water vapor existed. He also realized that the area between the earth and the heavens was not fire. What Aristotle deduced as water vapor is scientifically referred to as a parcel of air. As the air parcel rises, it cools and may condense to form a cloud (Lutgens 81). Aristotle believed the remains of water vapor that did not form a cloud was mist. Actually, what remains is just other air parcels. The energy utilise to condense the air molecule is released as potential heat creating a cycle of rising and change posture air molecules (Lutgens 82-83).\r\nAristotle provided names for the size of water droplets. It is possible that Aristotle coined the names drizzle and rain. Scientifically, drizzle is defined as small droplets of less than . 5 mm. Rain is defined as dropl ets of . 5 mm to 5 mm (Lutgens 131). Aristotle dedicated several chapters to the theory of winds. Without scientific measurements, the cause or theory of wind was difficult to regularize or explain. Aristotle compared wind to a flowing river in book 1 (Aristotle â€Å"Meteorology” 348). Unfortunately, Aristotle could not blemish why the river of wind never dried up.\r\nTherefore, he abandoned that theory and analogy of wind and plain tried to explain rivers instead. In book two, he dedicated three more chapters to wind. Aristotle used his theory of water vapor and direct observation of virtuallything he called smoke to describe the occurrence of wind. He related the rising water vapor and the heat of the sun. This combine created wind. Rain contributed to wind development by do calm winds after a rain (Encyclopedia 191). Wind must have been a difficult subject for Aristotle to explain, considering how much was written about the subject.\r\nThe facts indicate he was clos e to an answer but never fully understood the concept of wind. The definition of wind is the leave behind of horizontal differences in air pressure. Air flows from areas of full(prenominal) pressure to areas of lower pressure. It is nature’s method acting to balance inequalities of pressure. Unequal heating of the earth’s surface generates the pressure differences. Therefore, solar radiation is the last-ditch driving force of wind (Lutgens 149). The effects Aristotle explained were practically the results of the pressure changes. He realized the sun had some influence.\r\nThe clam wind after a rain is an occurrence with strong thunderstorms that leave a micro scale high-pressure dome in their energise (Lutgens 153). Aristotle explained the various meteorological phenomenon in simplistic terms. The explanations match his theory of how matter and shape were interrelated. Aristotle’s ideas on water vapor and precipitation were somewhat accurate, considering th ere were no tools to measure the atmosphere in his time. His views on wind, however, were not accurate at all. He wrote extensively on winds but never fully comprehended how wind occurred Works Cited Aristotle. Great Books of the Western World.\r\n intensiveness 1. Chicago: Robert P. Gwinn, 1990. Aristotle. â€Å"Meteorology” 113 †438. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. profits Address: http://classics. mit. edu/Aristotle/meteorology. 1. i. html. Translated by E. W. Webster. 27 Aug. 2000. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy 1-321. University of Tennessee at Martin. Internet Address: http://www. utm. edu/ look/iep/a/aristotl. htm. 24 Aug. 2000. Lutgens, Frederick K. and Edward J. Tarbuck. The Atmosphere. New Jersey: learner Hall, 1992. Sahakian, William S. and Mabel Lewis Sahakian. Ideas of the Great Philosophers. New York: Barnes & Noble Inc. , 1970.\r\n'