Section A: 1.2 Aristotle and the emergence of scientific thinking

Regarded by many as the greatest philosopher that ever lived, Aristotle wrote on a diverse range of subjects. For some his contribution to the natural sciences is more significant than his philosophical output. He is seen as having laid the foundations of the biological sciences, and his contribution was not superseded for many centuries.


Form and matter

Aristotle took Plato's idea of the two worlds and reframed the concepts of 'ideas and senses' in the context of 'form and matter'. In contrast to Plato, Aristotle did not see one as more important than the other. Form and matter are interdependent and complimentary; we can't understand one without the other.

'Form' is the category which things are classified as, e.g. human, tree, dog, table, etc.

'Matter' is what makes something unique or individual

For Aristotle, all the objects around us are combinations of matter and form. Without 'form' matter is unintelligible; unless matter is organised in some kind of form we have no way of interpreting it. Without 'matter' there is no form; matter is the basic component of all forms. For Aristotle both are crucial in shaping our understanding of the world around us.


Scientific thinking

Sense perception is our primary knowledge input. Our senses provide us with a basic understanding of the world around. Through hearing, taste, touch, sight and smell we gather information abou the world around us. It's our intellect that allows us to apply this knowledge in useful ways.

Aristotle believes that if we apply knowledge from the particular to the general we'll be able to identify ‘universals’. He uses the example of medical cures to illustrate this point, e.g. treatment for an individual, can become a cure for the general population.

So while the senses give us facts, the intellect allows us to organize them into theories, proofs, etc. This focus on cause and effect sows the seeds of the scientific method


Impact: Aristotle’s advocates a thoughtful engagement with life’s great questions. Similar to Plato, he believes it’s necessary for us to understand the nature of reality and realise the full potential of the human mind to interpret mystery. His work represents a progression of reason and logic and a more grounded, practical approach than his predecessors.

Aristotle wants us to be discerning; examine cause and effect, seek clarity in your thought and certainty in your methods before taking action. Some point to this as the birth of critical thinking

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