The Educational Utilization of Elements of the History of Natural Sciences (19th century): Highlighting the Cognitive Continuity with Antiquity

In the current paper, the reasons why the late 19th century Greek university community of natural scientists used elements from the History of Natural sciences which refer exclusively to ancient Greek science, and the consequences of such a choice are evaluated. Emphasis will be given to the speech delivered by the Dean, Professor of Chemistry, A. K. Hristomanos, entitled “Natural Sciences and Progress”, at the National University on 17th of December 1896, where, without nullifying the Scientific Revolution of the Modern Period, he attempted the analysis of its cognitive continuity with antiquity and the authority of the ancestral past. Hristomanos’ name was linked to almost all the attempts at reforming and spreading natural sciences in the late 19th century, and from this point of view his speech, and the way in which it is structured, become a reliable indicator in tracing theses and viewpoints within the entirety of the scientific community of natural scientists.