The Influence of Aristotle's Demonstration on Euclid
Open Access
Author:
Knutson, Sarah J
Area of Honors:
Interdisciplinary in Mathematics and Philosophy
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Emily Rolfe Grosholz, Thesis Supervisor Stephen George Simpson, Thesis Honors Advisor Vincent M Colapietro, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Aristotle Euclid Elements Analytics
Abstract:
The Greeks existed in a time of unparalleled progress. It was during this age that a synergistic apex of philosophy and mathematics thrived which can not be found anywhere else in the history of human knowledge. This paper will examine a subset of works forged by two of the greatest thinkers during this time. In particular, Aristotle’s Posterior Analytics and Book I of
Euclid’s Elements will be explored. The objective of this thesis is to consider how Aristotle’s scientific method, specifically his concept of demonstration, influenced Euclid.