AN INTRODUCTION TO ENLIGHTENMENT FROM ANCIENT GREEK 《MECHANICAL PROBLEMS》

《Mechanical Problems》in the Corpus of Aristotle is the earliest known work devoted to mechanics. It consists of an introduction and 35 problems. The introduction elucidates the significance and role of mechanics. The birth of mechanics aimed to satisfy people's convenience. Subsequently, taking the circle as the first principle and the lever as the basic model, 35 problems encompassing various machines such as pulleys, wheels, wedges, rudders, pliers, masts, and oars are discussed. The fundamental logic is to identify the lever in these problems and to empoly the circular motion of the lever to elucidate the working principles of various machines. Since the《Mechanical Problems》does not distinguish between violent motion and natural motion, this casts doubt on the true authorship of Aristotle's Mechanical Problems. In this paper, a brief introduction to 《Mechanical Problems》 will be given, and an attempt will be made to identify its true author. Furthermore, it will endeavor to explore the mechanical tradition embodied in 《Mechanical Problems》. The social significance of mechanics will be discussed, and the basic characteristics of early mechanics will be summarized.