Thus, it is defined as the science of life and living organisms. Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and a polymath. He has contributed to several branches of science as well as arts, including biology, botany, history, logic, metaphysics , philosophy, physics, poetics, political science, and psychology. Aristotle was born in Stagira, Macedonia, Northern Greece.
After his father passed away he moved to Athens and joined the Academy of Plato. He stayed and studied under Plato for about 20 years. During the same period he also often lived in the city of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. There, he carried out several extensive scientific research in the field of zoology and marine biology. Aristotle also divided the Sciences into three types namely, productive sciences, practical sciences, and theoretical sciences.
In productive science , he included only engineering and architecture as these were the only branches of science, according to him, that produced something such as buildings bridges, etc. In theoretical science , Aristotle included physics, mathematics, and theology arguing that these subjects have no practical goal but are pursued out of personal interest. Under practical science , he included ethics and politics as he believed that these branches guide our behaviour and actions.
There are philosophers who had written on the various topics of biology and life sciences as well, such as, the works of Anaximandier , Plato, Hippocrates , and Theophrastus. But Aristotle is credited for the development of this branch of science due to his approach of systematic critical empiricism. To be more specific Aristotle carried out his research in the field of Zoology and Marine biology which has emerged as one of the earliest studies of the natural world using a systematic and empirical approach to define and record the scientific natural history of the living organisms.
Most of his observations were documented during his stay on the island of Lesbos. The Father of different branches of Biology is discussed in the table below. Questions are asked in many competitive exams from the father of some discipline, Biology and its branches are one of them. Who is the Father of Biology? Although Aristotle's zoology cemented his place as the father of biology, as the first person to apply empirical techniques and a rudimentary scientific method to his research, the earlier Greek philosophers, Anaximander and Theophrastus, deserve mentioning.
Aristotle's zoology was largely built upon their work and observations , so they earned a place in the annals of the long history of biology. As with much of the work of the Greek philosophers, much of the work of Anaximander and Theophrastus is lost in the mists of time and their thoughts must be gleaned from secondary sources, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of their talent.
Anaximander the Milesian c. Whilst his theories seem very strange when compared to the later work of Charles Darwin , he was the first philosopher to postulate relationships between the various animals and humanity. Many of his exact points concerning the evolution of species and the origins of humanity sound almost comical, but the basic principle and philosophy behind his idea was extremely insightful.
There is much disagreement between historians over the various fragmentary sources and translations, but his thought certainly follows a chain of reasoning.
Greek Philosophers did not like 'uncaused causes,' so Anaximander attempted to explain the origin of humanity by pointing out that the first humans must have come from somewhere, the first real inclusion of humans in the history of biology. One other addition, found in a Latin text, was that fish emerged from the water and their skins burst, revealing humans who had grown to puberty inside the fish.
However, this is so different from the other sources that it is possibly a very bad translation from the Greek, supported by the fact that this translation contains no direct quotes, unlike the others. If this latter source is discredited, you can see the basis of a proto-evolutionary theory, that certainly lies at the foundation of both Lamarck's and Darwin's theories.
Anaximander made other additions to the store of knowledge lying at the beginnings of the history of biology, but this contribution was one of the most important. Aristotle BC - BC , the pupil of Plato, took great interest in the natural world, including many aspects of meteorology and geography, but his greatest contribution to science was in the fields of natural history and biology.
Whilst earlier scholars made observations about flora and fauna, Aristotle was the first to use empirical methods and techniques in a proto-scientific method. His meticulous methods and record keeping laid out the template for future researchers in the field, namely the later Islamic scholars, who would guard the wisdom of the Greeks and pass it to the Western world. In a fine early example of an early observational biology experiment, Aristotle dissected bird's eggs at various stages of development, trying to understand the order in which the organs of the growing embryo developed.
He noticed that the heart was the first thing to develop, with the other organs following in order. This fuelled his theory of Epigenesis, where the organs developed in a specific order, contrary to the prevalent belief that all of the organs were present from conception and simply grew in size. Without the aid of a microscope, Aristotle was actually incorrect about the heart, as it was the spinal cord that he saw developing.
He believed that the most important organs would develop first and, as he believed that the heart was the seat of thought, logically this would be the first organ to develop.
However, his idea of a strict order to development was correct, a fact not fully established for many centuries. Whilst earlier philosophers had tried to place animals into groups, the classifications were broad and sweeping, revealing little about the animals other than whether they flew, walked or swam. Aristotle's zoology included systematically observing and studying a wide range of animals, noting the similarities and trying to connect like with like. He studied animals from all around Greece, and it is likely that he received exotic specimens from his sponsor and ex-pupil, Alexander the Great.
Aristotle's' zoology and the classification of species was his greatest contribution to the history of biology, the first known attempt to classify animals into groups according to their behavior and, most importantly, by the similarities and differences between their physiologies. Using observation and dissection, he categorized species. But yet, Aristotle was greatly influenced by his father Nicomachus, who was a doctor. His father is believed to be have been physician to one of the Grecian rulers of the time, and these high social connections allowed Aristotle access to an excellent education and gave him time to ponder the world around him.
This upbringing certainly shaped the future of this great scholar. If Nicomachus was the father of the father of biology, was he really the father of biology? Aristotle was also a student of Plato, with whom he studied philosophy and logic. At the Athens Academy, Plato studied for several years and began work on a comprehensive encyclopedia of knowledge. If not for the influence of Plato and the Academy, certainly Aristotle would not have been the scholar he became.
So perhaps Plato should be considered the father of biology. Aristotle later tutored Alexander of Macedon, who became the ruler of the known world Alexander the Great.
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