Scientists of Ancient Greece (History Makers (Lucent))

Rating:
Summary: The emphasis is on the successes of early Greek science
Review: When students are taught the history of science, it generally begins with the development of the scientific method in ancient Greece. All too often, the emphasis is on the errors and misconceptions that people such as Plato, Aristotle and Ptolemy made in their views of the universe. This is unfortunate, because their successes dwarf their failures. For the first time in human history, nature was considered to be a consistent, predictable entity ruled by natural laws rather than a fickle creature controlled by gods, who were governed by their emotions.
In this book, seven of the greatest minds of ancient Greece: Democritus, Plato, Aristotle, Theophrastus, Archimedes, Ptolemy and Galen are briefly profiled. The emphasis is on their successes, which were considerable. The fact that their incorrect theories of nature survived for so long is not their fault. They should not be held responsible for their ideas being made social and religious dogma, forcibly held in place by people whose mental capacity was dwarfed by that of the ancient Greeks. It was refreshing to read about their successes and what it meant for the advancement of science.
The book is written roughly at the level of the high school student, although bright middle school students can handle it. Students in non-technical college courses in the history of science will also find it valuable. We owe the Greeks so much for their development of the scientific method and democracy. Hopefully, both will always remain fundamental characteristics of human societies.