Greek Science: Its Meaning for Us by Benjamin Farrington (Vintage 1969 Edition)

Greek Science: Its Meaning for Us, written by Benjamin Farrington, is a book exploring the development of scientific thinking in ancient Greece and its lasting influence on the modern world.

Published in 1949, the book delves into the ideas of pre-Socratic philosophers like Thales, Anaximander, and Heraclitus, who questioned the nature of reality and sought explanations for natural phenomena beyond mythology. Farrington then traces the development of Greek science through the work of Plato and Aristotle, who laid the foundations for scientific method and systematic inquiry.

The book also examines the contributions of Hellenistic scientists, such as Archimedes, Euclid, and Ptolemy, who made significant advancements in mathematics, astronomy, and engineering. Farrington argues that Greek science, despite its limitations, laid the groundwork for the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries and continues to influence our understanding of the universe today.