Skip to main content

The Mystery of Archimedes. Archimedes, Physicist and Mathematician, Anti-Platonic and Anti-Aristotelian Philosopher

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
The Genius of Archimedes -- 23 Centuries of Influence on Mathematics, Science and Engineering

Part of the book series: History of Mechanism and Machine Science ((HMMS,volume 11))

Abstract

Irony of fate! Democritus is the only philosopher mentioned in one of his works by Archimedes, and wrote about mathematical things, while neither Plato nor Aristotle are mentioned by him nor have they written about mathematics, but only witnesses scattered here and there in their writings and very often confused, yet they’re considered Archimedes’ inspirers! (Boyer 1939, Delsedine 1970, Frajese 1974, Gambiano 1992, Reymond 1979). But Archimedes violates the prohibitions of Plato and Aristotle and is inspired by the philosophy of Democritus. It is argued about Archimedes’ sections-weights (toma…-b£rea) and Aristotle’s and Democritus’ indivisible magnitudes (¥toma megšqh). (Luria 1970, Mugler 1970, Ver Ecke 1959, Furley 1967).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Aristotle 1a, On the Generation and Corruption, translated by H. H. Joachim, eBooks@ Adelaide 2007, I2, 315b, 25-30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aristotle 1b, ib. 316a, 25-30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aristotle 2a, Physics, translated by R. P. Hardie and R. K. Gaye, VII, 250a, 16-19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aristotle 2b, ib. VI, 241a, 5-15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyer C.B., The Concepts of the Calculus, N. York, 1939, p. 48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boscarino G. Tradizioni di pensiero. La tradizione filosofica italica della scienza e della realtà. Mondotre-La scuola italica, Sortino, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delsedine P., L’infini numérique dans l’Arénaire d’Archimède, Ahes, 1970, 345-59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dijksterhuis E.J., Archimedes, Copenhagen, 1956. p. 319, p. 316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frajese A., Archimede, Opere, Utet, Torino.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furley D.J., Two Studies in the Greek atomist. Study I. Indivisible magnitudes.

    Google Scholar 

  • Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galilei G., Opere, Utet, Turino, 1964, vol. II, p. 613.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gambiano G., Scoperta e dimostrazione in Archimede,in Archimede. Mito Tradizione Scienza, Olski, Firenze 1992, pp. 21-41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heath S. T., A History of Greek Mathematics, Vol. II, Dover Publications, New York, 1981, p. 557, p. 30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heath T.L., The Works of Archimedes, with a Supplement The Method of Archimedes, Dover Publications, New York, 1912, p. 13-14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laertius D. trans. R. D. Hicks, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, I, Trans. R. D. Hicks, 1925. Harvard University Press 1925.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luria S., Democritea, Leningrad, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mugler C., Les oeuvres d’Archimède, Paris, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  • Plutarch, Works, Marcellus, translated by John Dryden, The Internet Classics Archive.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peano G., Opere. For a harsh judgement about Plato, witness of mathematical things, I recall a judgement of Peano, who certainly knew about mathematics, as with Greek philology: “Untrue in the philosopher’s dialogues there are some mathematical terms here and there, but reunited in such an uncertain way that they were considered as difficult words which an interlocutor looks for to confuse his adversary; almost like in our political newspapers of today incommensurable is written instead of very big” (See Giuseppe Peano, Opere, Vol. III, Roma, 1958, p. 249).

    Google Scholar 

  • Reymond V., Le platonisme d’Archimède, Revue philosophique, 169, 1979, pp. 189-92. Ver Eecke P., Les oeuvres completes d’Archimède, Paris, 1959.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giuseppe Boscarino .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2010 Springer Netherlands

About this paper

Cite this paper

Boscarino, G. (2010). The Mystery of Archimedes. Archimedes, Physicist and Mathematician, Anti-Platonic and Anti-Aristotelian Philosopher. In: Paipetis, S., Ceccarelli, M. (eds) The Genius of Archimedes -- 23 Centuries of Influence on Mathematics, Science and Engineering. History of Mechanism and Machine Science, vol 11. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9091-1_22

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9091-1_22

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-9090-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-90-481-9091-1

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics