Concept of Motion in Ancient Greek Thought: Foundations in Logic, Method, and Mathematics

This book explores the development of the scientific understanding of motion, investigating the logical tools and methodological principles necessary to give a consistent account of motion. It shows how the idea of motion raised fundamental problems in the 5th and 4th century BCE, leading to the exclusion of motion from rational investigation in Parmenides and Zeno's paradoxes. Methodological and logical developments reacting to these puzzles are present in the atomists and Plato, and Aristotle provides the first outline of the fundamental framework with which we conceptualize motion today.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 437 pages
Publication date: 04 November 2021
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

This book delves into the intricate origins of the scientific comprehension of motion, exploring the necessary logical frameworks and methodological principles that paved the way for a coherent account of motion. It also examines the introduction of mathematical concepts to address the conceptual challenges posed by motion. By examining the concept of motion, it raises two fundamental dilemmas that emerged in the 5th and 4th century BCE: the reconciliation of being and non-being, and the integration of time and space. These dilemmas gave rise to distinct approaches, with Parmenides excluding motion from the realm of rational inquiry and Zeno's paradoxes of motion challenging the very notion of motion. Responding to these puzzles, methodological and logical advancements emerged, both implicitly in the atomists and explicitly in Plato, who employed mathematical structures to make motion more intelligible. With Aristotle, we witness the emergence of the foundational framework that continues to shape our understanding of motion today.

Weight: 632g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108745215
Edition number: New ed