When Deaf/HH and/or late-deafened people do not get the credit they deserve for their work in Science (which means "Knowledge" or "to know"). The word "science" comes directly from the Latin scientia, meaning "knowledge" (from scire, "to know").
The closest Ancient Greek equivalent is ἐπιστήμη (epistēmē), which also means "knowledge" (especially systematic or scientific knowledge in philosophy, like Aristotle's usage). epistēmē = reliable, reasoned knowledge or science (as organized understanding).
Aristotle (from around 355 BCE) once said:
"Those who are born deaf all become senseless and incapable of reason."
- Guillaume Amontons (1663–1705): Deaf from early childhood. French physicist and inventor who pioneered early thermodynamics (discovering the constant volume-temperature relationship in gases, foundational to gas laws) and improved instruments like barometers, thermometers, and hygrometers. In 17th-century France, no formal sign language existed yet; he relied on self-study, reading, writing, and visual methods.
- John Goodricke (1764–1786): Deaf from early childhood. British astronomer who discovered the periodicity of the variable star Algol and identified other variable stars, earning the Royal Society's Copley Medal. He learned an early manual/sign system at Thomas Braidwood's Academy for the Deaf in Edinburgh.
- Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (1857–1935): Deaf from age 9/10 after scarlet fever. Russian rocket scientist known as the "Father of Astronautics" for formulating the rocket equation, multi-stage rocket concepts, and principles of space travel. He was largely self-taught through books and used writing/lip-reading; no sign language involvement.
- Annie Jump Cannon (1863–1941): Progressively deaf (mainly later in life). American astronomer who created the Harvard spectral classification system (OBAFGKM, the standard stellar classes still used) and classified over 350,000 stars. She adapted with lip-reading and written communication in a hearing academic environment.
- Thomas Edison (1847–1931): Progressively deaf from childhood/teens onward (fully deaf later). Prolific American inventor and applied scientist with over 1,000 patents, including the practical incandescent light bulb, phonograph, and motion pictures. He viewed his deafness as an aid for concentration, communicating via lip-reading, writing, and innovative methods like Morse code tapping; no use of formal sign language.
- Sir John Cornforth (1917–2013): Profoundly deaf from his teens due to otosclerosis. Australian-British chemist who won the 1975 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for stereochemistry of enzyme-catalyzed reactions, advancing biochemical understanding. He primarily used lip-reading (with assistance from his wife) and written notes.
Aristotle lived roughly 380 years before Jesus' birth. Aristotle died in 322 BC, so his entire life (384–322 BC) was well before the start of the Common Era (AD/CE).
Others have debated on what he believed in:
- Does Aristotle believe in a monotheistic God? (Love of All Wisdom blog, by Amod Lele, a philosopher specializing in comparative philosophy): Discusses how many scholars see Aristotle as a monotheistic theologian, with humanity's end tied to a divine First Cause.
https://loveofallwisdom.com/blog/2019/03/does-aristotle-believe-in-a-monotheistic-god - Aristotle's Unmoved Movers (Cambridge Core / Traditio journal article): Scholarly piece on the plurality (47 or 55) of unmoved movers in Aristotle's cosmology, debating the unity and nature of the divine.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/traditio/article/aristotles-unmoved-movers/5D1180E52FE8DFB7B3F3B7F210AF81CB - Aristotle's God: Is the Unmoved Mover an Ontological Person? (Academia.edu paper): Explores historical impact and debates if the Unmoved Mover qualifies as a personal divine being, especially in contrast to Judeo-Christian views.
https://www.academia.edu/14467138/Aristotles_God_Is_the_Unmoved_Mover_an_Ontological_Person - Proving Classical Theism? An Aristotelian Argument Examined (Alan Rhoda's philosophy blog): Critically examines if Aristotle's argument leads to a classically theistic God (pure actuality, etc.), with scholarly analysis.
http://alanrhoda.net/wordpress/2018/03/proving-classical-theism-an-aristotelian-argument-examined - Reddit r/askphilosophy thread: Were Plato and Aristotle Polytheists or Monotheists? (References Richard Bodéüs's book arguing Aristotle was a refined polytheist, with community scholarly input).
https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/4o0p58/were_plato_and_aristotle_polytheists_or - Reddit r/askphilosophy thread: Was Aristotle's "god" a theistic entity or a naturalistic explanation? (Debates if it's truly theistic or just a cosmological principle).
https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/dmq42q/was_aristotles_god_a_theistic_entity_or_a - Edward Feser's blog: Prior on the Unmoved Mover (Philosopher Edward Feser discusses scholarly disagreements on whether the Unmoved Mover is an efficient cause, final cause, or both).
http://edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2016/06/prior-on-unmoved-mover.html - Aristotle's “Unmoved Mover” and Those Who Are “Without Excuse” (Apologetics Press article, referencing Peter Kreeft and others on Thomistic interpretations).
https://apologeticspress.org/aristotles-unmoved-mover-and-those-who-are-without-excuse-3795
One thing for sure thing that Aristotle believed in and that is deaf people at the time during Aristotle's life time is that he believed that deaf people were incapable of having cogent and reasoned thoughts in a debate. If he was alive today, he'd be shocked.
