Excerpt from Greek Theories of Elementary Cognition From Alcmaeon to Aristotle As regards scientific method, it was not to be expected that it could exist at a period when logic - deductive and induc tive - was as yet unknown, and when the provinces of the various departments of thinking had as yet no boundaries assigned to them. As regards positive knowledge, again, the disadvantages under which the Greek psychologists laboured were insuperable. Pure mathematics had advanced to an important degree Of attainment, but empirical sciences, e.g. Physics and physiology, were in their infancy. Even Aristotle, like his predecessors, with whom he so Often places himself in controversy, possessed only the scantiest means of physical observation. In fact, Observation did not go beyond what could be accomplished by the naked eye. Physical experiments only of the most rudimentary kind were possible at a time when, of all our varied mathe matical and physical implements, inquirers had to content themselves with what they could achieve by the aid of the rule and the compasses. 'chemical analysis, correct measurements and weights, and a thorough application of mathematics to physics were unknown. The attractive force of matter, the law Of gravitation, electrical phenomena, the conditions of chemical combination, pressure Of air and its effects, the nature of light, heat, combustion, &c., in short all the facts on which the physical theories of modern science are based, were wholly, or almost wholly, undiscovered In their attempts at psychology under such circumstances it is not to be wondered at if they met with but little success. They had, for example. To arrive at. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.