Great Books Essay: William Harvey, “On the Circulation of Blood” William Harvey, a world-renowned scientist, is known for making the the most important discovery of humanity. Harvey's research concluded that blood circulating throughout the body was a continuous flow in a single direction. His discovery marked the beginning of modern cardiology and an increase in observational experiments that were subsequently conducted. William Harvey was born in England in 1578 where he grew up until he moved to Padua, Italy to attend college where he earned a medical degree to become a physician. Harvey later returned to England and practiced as senior physician at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. In 1618, Harvey was chosen to be James I's physician, but he was not content with being a physician. Harvey's fascination with the vascular system had led to his discovery about the circulation of blood in the body. In 1628, he published his completed thesis "On the Circulation of Blood" to explain the continuous flow of blood throughout the body and the transformation of venous pathways into arterial blood that took place in the lungs. His publication attracted much criticism from other doctors, he lost his reputation, but he nevertheless continued to progress in his career. The main reason for the criticism was that his ideas went against those of Galen, who was considered a master of medical philosophy. Few people dared to question Galen's widely accepted views on medicine and the functioning of the body. Galen's theory proposed the idea that the liver was the center of blood circulation in the body. His theory also stated that blood passed between the ventricles through "invisible pores", he believed that the artery...... middle of paper ......d. Harvey discovered that the heart was the cause of blood propulsion and learned that blood flowed continuously in only one direction. William Harvey's discoveries led to a better understanding of blood circulation and revolutionized the scientific world as we know it. William Harvey and the discovery of blood circulation. Np, and Web. March 10, 2014."Harvey, William. C1510-1590. On the Movement of the Heart and Blood in Animals. Vol. 38, Part 3. The Harvard Classics." Harvey, William. C1510-1590. On the movement of the heart and blood in animals. Flight. 38, part 3. The Harvard Classics. Np, and Web. March 15. 2014. .