answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

He believed that all Earthy matter was drawn to the centre of the Earth, so a sphere was the natural shape. He noticed that during lunar eclipses, the Earth's shadow was round and he noticed that when you go North or South a long ways, the stars that you can see change.

User Avatar

Wiki User

10y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: How did Aristotle conclude that the Earth was spherical?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Continue Learning about Philosophy

What are Aristotles' philosophical ideas?

Most of Aristotle's ideas were disregarded by other scientists. His most famous theary was that the Earth was spherical and in the center of the universe.


Which philosopher was the first to conclude that knowledge results from your memories of your experiences?

Aristotle


Did Aristotle believe in geocentric or heliocentric?

Aristotle was a geocentric believer( the earth was at the center of the universe.


What was Aristotle's view of the universe?

Aristotle argued that the universe is spherical and finite. Spherical, because that is the most perfect shape; finite, because it has a center, viz. the center of the earth, and a body with a center cannot be infinite. He believed that the earth, too, is a sphere. It is relatively small compared to the stars, and in contrast to the celestial bodies, always at rest. For one of his proofs of this latter point, he referred to an empirically testable fact: if the earth were in motion, an observer on it would see the fixed stars as moving, just as he now observes the planets as moving, that is from a stationary earth. However, since this is not the case, the earth must be at rest. To prove that the earth is a sphere, he produced the argument that all earthly substances move towards the center, and thus would eventually have to form a sphere. He also used evidence based on observation. If the earth were not spherical, lunar eclipses would not show segments with a curved outline. Furthermore, when one travels northward or southward, one does not see the same stars at night, nor do they occupy the same positions in the sky. That the celestial bodies must also be spherical in shape, can be determined by observation. In the case of the stars, Aristotle argued that they would have to be spherical, as this shape, which is the most perfect, allows them to retain their positions. Aristotle, like Eudoxus and Callippus before him, believed that each planet followed the path laid out by a certain number of spheres. Callippus had postulated 33 spheres in all, 4 each for Saturn and Jupiter, 5 each for Mars, Venus, Mercury, the sun and the moon. The problem with this model, however, was that, according to Aristotle, it did not explain how the motion of the outer spheres was to be prevented from interfering with the motion of the inner spheres. Aristotle therefore attempted a mechanical explanation, and postulated 22 counteracting spheres, which would set things in balance. It is generally held that Aristotle's addition of these counteracting spheres complicated rather than cleared up the problem of planetary motion.


What did Aristotle think was in the center of the universe?

The Earth

Related questions

What are Aristotles' philosophical ideas?

Most of Aristotle's ideas were disregarded by other scientists. His most famous theary was that the Earth was spherical and in the center of the universe.


Why did Aristotle believe in the geocentric theory?

Aristotle developed a theory that the earth was the center of the universe, and all the planets were attached to it via fifty-five invisible spheres. The moon was close enough to be within the earth's realm, and as a result, possessed the ability to go through phases. He believed these spheres were made up of a substance he called Aether.


Why did Aristotle wrongly conclude you could not be in orbit around the sun?

This is because Aristotle is a philosopher and not a astrophysicist.


How does this demonstrate that earth is spherical?

WHAT demonstrates that the Earth is spherical?!


Shape of earth geoid or spherical?

The Earth is geoid THE EARTH IS SPHERICAL


What did aristotle first propose?

Aristotle believed in a geocentric model. He also believed that the world was spherical.


Which philosopher was the first to conclude that knowledge results from your memories of your experiences?

Aristotle


Who found out the world was round?

Yajnavalkya is the person who first recognized that the earth was spherical in his astronomical text Shatapatha Brahmana. Later on, other Scientist namely Aristotle and Galileo confirmed the same.


Who found out the worlds round?

Yajnavalkya is the person who first recognized that the earth was spherical in his astronomical text Shatapatha Brahmana. Later on, other Scientist namely Aristotle and Galileo confirmed the same.


Is the earth really spherical?

The Earth is almost spherical. It's slightly squashed, or oblate.


Who was the first to claim that the earth is ellipsoid not spherical?

Newton was first claim that the earth is ellipsoid instead of spherical...


Which astronomer was the first to describe earth as a sphere?

The Greek philosophers discovered the earth was spherical in the 6th century BC. Parmenides also discovered this in the 5th century BC. In 330 BC Aristotle put for the position based on physical theory and observational evidence.