The
Pre-Socratics were not completely scientific because not everything they
theorized was based on experience, but they were not as mythical as Hesiod
either. Aristotle’s concept of the universe was mostly scientific. Since
Aristotle was the tutor of Alexander the Great, he had access to a wide variety
of cultures. By gathering information from all of these cultures, he was able to
analyze the world from a scientific perspective. He came up with four
fundamental theses to the universe. 1.) The universe was Geocentric, Earth
centered. 2.) The universe contained two separate worlds, one that spanned out
to the moon and it was ever changing, and another that was from the moon out
that was unchanging and made of the fifth element (ether). 3.) The universe did
not consist of any void or empty space within the inner world. 4.) The only
motion of the planets was that of uniform circular motion around the center of
the universe. More important than Aristotle’s four theses were the scientific
methods he used to establish them. For example, in determine that there was no
void, Aristotle argues, “If water were twice as thick as air, an object should
move through water with half the speed it moved through air. But void with no
thickness made such a ratio nonsense; it meant dividing by zero.” (Hetherington,
pg. 99) From examining the history of cosmology in Ancient Greece, it becomes
clear that there was an evolution away from myth and towards science. What are
some of the reasons of why this could be? A likely answer is that the evolution
came about out of an adaptation to the environment. Ancient Greece was a very
volatile area to be a part of. Greece was established in an area mainly known
for warring. A history of Ancient Greece is mostly a timeline and description of
the various types of war that occurred there. Because of this factor, the need
for science increased. Aristotle spent his time studying the natural
environment. By doing so he could make fairly reliable predictions (some of
which we still believe to be true today) of the physical world. If one can
predict the workings of the physical world, they will have a better chance of
succeeding in battle. The constantly active environment in Greece lead to the
development of science, but what results would we find in a civilization that
did not have interaction with others? To examine this question, I will break
down the Buddhist Cosmology and see the affects of the near isolation from
Western civilization. The Buddhist cosmology is summed up as, “a single,
circular world system surrounded by a mountain of iron… above this circular
surface is a series of four meditations (dhy-ăna) or “meditation realms” as they
are generally designated. The successive divisions of the meditation realms into
seventeen heavens mark the progress of the srăvaka… Detachment from all the
mediation realms through the practice of meditation eventuates in the extinction
of nirvăna.” (Kloetzi, pg. 3)
Given this information about the Buddhist
cosmology, it is clear that their world is more focused on the spiritual than
the physical. It is described in a physical manner (mountain of iron), but all
of the different stages of the world are attainable through mediation and
spiritual growth. It is clear that the Buddhist did not believe that the world
they were describing was the world we see with our eyes. They believed that they
were describing a world that was beyond our own perception. The world wasn’t
something that we can view with our senses, but instead it could only be
understood through meditation. Buddhist beliefs about the workings of the
universe were also very spiritually centered. “Everything we apprehend in the
world is mere illusion.” (French, pg. 61) This statement was considered the core
truth behind human interaction in the world. If everything in the world were an
illusion, then it would be impossible to use science to determine the workings
of the universe. Science could only be used to predict how the illusion will act
and respond to different situations. With this concept brought to life, the only
thing that could be used to explain the universe is myth. A Buddhist parable
about a man walking through the forest helps describe their belief of reality in
the world. It is summed up as follows. “A man is walking a narrow path in a
sun-dappled forest. Before his on the path, amid the leaves and streaks of
light, he suddenly sees a very large coiled snake. Shocked and afraid, he
noiselessly turns to hide behind a tree and waits, anxiously aware of the great
danger. In time, he ventures a look around the tree once more and refocuses his
eyes. He focuses again. Then he comes back to the path and stares down at the
snake. He sees that it is not a snake but a heavy, coiled rope in front of him.
With a wave of relief, he bends down to pick it up and finds that the rope, worn
with age, disintegrates in his hands into tiny strands of hemp.” (French, pg.
61) This parable shows the three levels of reality according to the Buddhist
tradition. The first level is that of the reality we perceive with our senses,
the physical world we interact with everyday. This world is the illusion of the
snake. The second level of reality is still somewhat illusionary. In the second
level we will see things as they relate to the third level of reality. The
reasons for the illusion of the first reality become clear in the second
reality. In the third reality the truth is found. This third reality is on the
level of nirvăna and is only reached through a lifetime, or many lifetimes, of
meditation. Multiple lives, reincarnation, is another important aspect of the
Buddhist thought.
