Essay - Guns: Artistotle's History of Animals Aside from Philosophy and the...

Guns: Artistotle's History of Animals

***** from philosophy and the more psychological arts, Aristotle's greatest contribution to modern science is probably h***** writings on zoology. Indeed, ***** p*****ilosopher's powers ***** observati***** were keen and in many cases startlingly accurate when the knowledge base of the time is considered. Many of his conclusions regarding the nature, habits ***** evolution ***** animals were indeed conducive to ***** conclusions that led ***** the science we know today.

In the nine books of his History of Animals **********, Aristotle observes ***** in their habitat, and uses dissection to discover the mysteries inside ***** animal body as *****ll. He begins ***** description in Book I ***** the physical properties of ***** ***** body, and distinguishes various genera of animals. These are the main types of *****, such ***** fish, birds, etc. ***** furthermore goes on to describe the *****, habitat and social structure ***** groups of animals. This is also ********** in terms of food processing, reproduction and the senses that ***** possess.

Throughout his work, Aristotle takes considerable time to distinguish between animals and human beings. Human beings for example experience ***** faculty of memory differently ***** in a much more complex manner than do animals. Aris*****tle expla*****s that animals do not recall the past at will, but assimilate *****ir experiences to make them part ***** instinct. A similarity ***** human beings and animals is however how the sense of *****uch is experienced.

*****ristotle was *****n the first to classify ***** ***** ***** into *****, although he did so in a much broader way ***** scientists of *****. He further classifies the animals with***** ***** genera into types with and without "blood," which in the philosopher's time referred to red *****. These ***** were then divided according to their various species. Again, the classification according ***** blood is remin*****cent of today's distinction between vertebrates ***** in*****. Blooded animals *****clude five ***** the previously defined *****, which ***** viviparous quadrupeds (mammals), birds, oviparous quadrupeds (reptiles and amphibians), *****es, and whales. Aristotle did not at the time realize that whales were *****, but did make this ***** for dolphins. Bloodless ***** included cephalopods (such as the octopus); crustaceans; insects, shel***** animals, ***** what ***** calls "zoophytes," or "plant-animals."

In his scientific research, Aristotle established scientific methodology today. He ***** ***** used dialectical (based on logical deduction) and empirical (practical) arguments to present his ***** findings. ***** ***** used detailed observation and dissection in order to present clear and scientific arguments in his work. He was in fact the first scientist to make extensive use of dissection for ***** studies. This practice enabled Aristotle to describe phenomena such as ***** embryological development of a chick, to dist*****guish dolphins from fish ***** to describe the chambered stomachs of ruminants. He w***** also able to examine the social organization ***** bees, and he noticed that some sharks give birth ***** live young.

Indeed, ***** keen interest in sea life led him to his extensive studies of dolph*****s, ***** *****