Aristotle

Aristotle is one of the most significant figures in all of human history. Over the course of his life, he studied and wrote about every possible field of knowledge. He studied physics, zoology, botany, and chemistry before any of these fields of science even had names. Without the benefit of modern tools like the telescope or microscope, Aristotle still laid the foundation for nearly all later developments in Western science. In addition to his work in science, Aristotle contributed a great deal to our ideas about art, literature, ethics, and theology. Aristotle's influence is so deep, in fact, that many of his ideas have been absorbed into the very language of science and philosophy.