What did Greek Philosopher Aristotle’s take on Atomic theory?

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Greek philosopher did not accept Democritus’s atomic theory. He preferred Empedocles theory of the four elements. He suggested that each of these elements was a combination of two of four opposites-hot and cold, and wet and dry. He discussed the properties of substances in terms of their elemental composition-their combinations of water, air, fire and /or earth.- and how they could be transformed by their reaction to their opposites. For example, Aristotle  believed that water evaporates when heated because it goes from cold and wet and hot and wet, thereby becoming air. Aristotle actually also added a fifth element known as ether, the divine substance that forms the spheres and bodies meaning stars and planets.

Even through Aristotle is regarded as the greatest thinker of his age, many historians believe that his dismissal of atom theory of Democritus was the main reason scientific inquiry into nature of matter was stalled for about 1,500 years after his death.