natural philosophy

Early Greek Philosophies of Nature

Early Greek Nature cover

Over the past year I’ve been dedicating a substantial portion of my reading hours to the biological works of Aristotle, as well as the Timaeus of Plato in order to improve my understanding the history of the early development of natural philosophy – what would eventually become natural history. However in most every one of these works, reference is made to the ideas of those who came before. In some cases these are little more than names to us today. Even those who are well-read in ancient philosophy might be unfamiliar with what is known of the ideas of many pre-Socratic philosophers such as Anaxaminder, Anaxamines, and Leucippas.

The Light Ages

Light Ages cover

In his recently published “The Light Ages, The Surprising Story of Medieval Science,” Dr. Seb Falk assumes the perspective of a fourteenth century monk to guide his readers on a tour of the intellectual and technological developments – from universities, eyeglasses, and mechanical clocks to a rediscovery and refinement of astronomical studies – that occurred during the period.

Dragons’ Teeth and Thunderstones

Dragons Teeth cover

What did our ancestors who were unfamiliar with the origins of the fossilized remains of prehistoric creatures make of them? Did they recognize such things as belemnites, brachiopods, bits of vertebral columns, and other curious, stone objects extracted from the ground as the remains of creatures from long ago? If so, were such creatures factual or fantastic? And in any case, what useful qualities – or even extraordinary, perhaps even magical, powers – did they assume these mysterious objects might posses?

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