Science is a word derived from Latin term ‘Scientia’ which directly translates into ‘knowledge’. It can be defined as the quest to understand natural phenomena using empirical data and drawing conclusions from observable results of experiments, observable facts, as well as, objective evidence. On the other hand, philosophy seeks to understand human nature. It is derived from the Greek word ‘Philosophia’ which means ‘love of wisdom’ and draws conclusions from logical arguments regardless of whether they are subjective or objective. Before the 17th century, science was a part of philosophy. It was referred to as natural philosophy. The two concepts are also interdependent of each other. Albert Einstein, a renowned scientist before exploring his work on relativity is said to have read Treatise of Human Nature, a philosophical book by David Hume (Schulmann et al, 1998). He claimed that he might not have reached a conclusion if he had not read Hume’s work. Therefore, though different, science and philosophy complement each other.
Milesians are the inhabitants of the ancient Greek city known as Miletus (Harrison, 1998). Among the most renowned Milesian thinkers include Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes. Philosophy is said to have begun during the time of these Milesian thinkers. Other writers, on the other hand, opine that they contributed a lot to Greek science as it was then. This paper seeks to elucidate further on the fact that Milesians did a lot of philosophy but also made contributions to the field of science to a certain extent.
Anaximander, sometimes referred to as one of the first true scientists, was an astrologist committed to several areas of science including cosmology, geometry, physics, geography, and metaphysics (Kahn, 1994). He studied the universe and attempted to explain its nature and its origin. Though he is said to be the first philosopher to record his work, only one fragment of his work exists. Most of his unwritten work was then reconstructed by other scientists and philosophers including Aeticus, Hipploytus, and Simplicus. Nonetheless, by Plato’s time, most of Anaximander’s work had already been forgotten
Among Anaximander’s most notable theories include his attempt to explain the nature of the earth. He regarded the earth as cylindrical with the part occupied by land as inhabited by humans and animals being the flat top (Kahn, 1994). It was a third of its diameter thick. The cylindrical mass was then surrounded by an oceanic one. This explained why celestial bodies were able to pass above and beneath the earth, as well as, giving a more realistic explanation to the nature of the earth as opposed to his predecessor’s Thales who was of the idea that the world was floating on water (Kahn, 1994). He then went further to explain why the earth remains in place. In this regard, he opined that since the earth was equidistant from all the other features of the universe, it was not in a state that it could steer to one specific direction.
Through his knowledge of geography, he came up with the concept of the gnomon, a rod that was able to cast a shadow (Couprie, 1995). He then used this to illustrate the notion of the number of hours per day and night, equinoxes and solstices. He then drew the map of the world as it was believed to be then, as well as, the celestial globe which as later modified by Hecataeus. Anaximander was also of the opinion that the sun and the moon were in the shape of a ring and occupied with fire. They contain vents through which fire can pass. It is the process of opening and shutting the vents that the different shapes of the moon are formed, in addition to the eclipses of the sun and the moon (Kahn, 1994).
Regarding the origin of human beings, Anaximander may have preempted the theory of natural selection (Loenen, 1984). Having done his research and concluding that fossils exist, he opined that the first animals originated from the process of evaporation from the moist element. Eventually, some of these animals, for instance, fish evolved into human beings. Accordingly, humans spent a significant time of their evolution in the mouths of big fish to protect themselves from the harsh conditions of the earth such as the weather until they developed adaptive features to survive in dry land.
Anaximander is said to have conducted the first ever recorded experiment in the universe. In the quest to understand the universe, he made reference from empirical figures and objective figures to determine his conclusions. The philosophers of this period are regarded to as the first people to do real science (Kahn, 1994). Their theories formed the basis of explanations of several concepts in the universe which were later improved by the scientists who appeared later to form the theories that we have today.
Thales of Miletus took a different philosophical approach from the other Greek philosophers who came after him, as well as, modern philosophers. Several philosophers including Aristotle considered him the father of Western philosophy (O’grady, 2017). Rather than seeking to understand the universe by looking for explanations from the supernatural, he incorporated the use of natural explanations as observable within the universe. This rendered him the founder of the natural philosophy, a branch of philosophy that later branched out into what is now known as science. He was highly regarded by other philosophers during the ancient times ranging to Anaximenus to Pythagoras who advised that all our arguments should begin with reference to a philosophical thought as propagated by Thales. He took an interest in several areas of study including geography, engineering, science, politics, philosophy, mathematics, and history (O’grady, 2017).
In his quest to explain the nature of the universe, Thales came up with a theory that the earth had less buoyancy than water, therefore, had the capacity to float on water and not on air. Accordingly, he declared that the earth, a flat and thin mass, was at rest and floating on water (Couprie, 2011). This theory was based on his observation on ships floating on water with their heavy cargo and compared this to floating logs. He believed that water was a permanent entity in the universe and carried the earth on it like a boat. His theory was also supported by presence of several floating islands including Chemmis, an Egyptian trading concession which he is said to have visited. Critics, however, questioned his theory when they posed the question, ‘if the earth floats on water, what makes the water remain in place?’ (Couprie, 2011).
He then went further to explain that earthquakes were not the result of the arbitrary acts of a supreme being but rather an action caused by disturbances due to fluctuations in the ocean on which the earth rests (Dreyer, 1953). This could not only shake the earth but also form cracks on its surface. He compared this to the disturbances caused to ships as they sail across water bodies. Although this theory was later disproved by subsequent scientists, it was based on logic and provided a rational explanation for a national phenomenon as opposed to theories of other Greek philosophers such as the myth that propagated that earthquakes were as a result of the anger of the god of the sea. Similarly, anger was supposedly a result of the anger of Zeus.
Thales is also known for accurately predicting a solar eclipse (Couprie, 2011). This eclipse was full and occurred at the exact specific period that he had predicted. Some scholars suggest that he was able to achieve this by studying the circle of 223 lunar months. He realized that solar and lunar eclipses repeated themselves in the exact same way they appeared initially after this amount of time lapses. Others scholars have doubted this position because there is a change in solar eclipses due to the extra 0.321124 of a day that changes the direction in which the solar eclipse would appear next. All in all, it has been attested that Thales was aware of the fact that an eclipse of the sun occurs when the moon passes in front of it and casts a shadow on it (Couprie, 2011).
In addition to that, Thales is hailed as a great mathematician and first one in history (Couprie, 2011). He came up with several theories such as the bisection of a circle by its diameter, as well as, the Thales theorem that a triangle inscribed in a semi-circle with one of its sides being the diameter of the semi-circle, then the triangle is a right angle.
In conclusion, Milesian thinkers practiced science and not philosophy. They were mostly focused on the discovery of natural phenomenon as opposed to the discovery of human nature. They then based their studies on experiments, observable features, rational thesis, and objective data. As observed above, they avoided the typical belief of the majority of Greek thinkers that natural phenomenon occurs solely as an arbitrary act of a god. Accordingly, they are regarded as the first true scientists who got the ball of science rolling. They held open and rational debates where they shared their ideas and allowed criticisms based on objective inferences. However, other thinkers such as Aristotle, though philosophers and not scientists, based their thinking on the philosophies of Milesian thinkers.