Concept of Motion in Ancient Greek Thought

About this book

"The main object of this book is to study how the understanding of physical motion in ancient Greek thought developed before and up to Aristotle. It investigates which logical, methodological, and mathematical foundations had to be in place to establish a fullyfledged concept of motion that also allows for comparing and measuring speed.1 Given that physical motion is the core concept of natural philosophy, this study thereby also seeks to reconstruct in rough outlines how natural philosophy came to be established as a proper scientific endeavour in ancient Greece.2 According to a prevailing picture, scientific investigation of physical motion and change started properly in the West with Aristotle but only achieved its true form in modern times, with the overthrow of central Aristotelian doctrines. In the early modern period, so runs the narrative, Aristotelianism was rejected and the basis laid for what today we consider the science of physics.3 This interpretation is at least doubly misleading"--