Science is seen implemented in society in two distinct but intertwined ways. Natural philosophy is the science for understanding nature, where the practicality of science and mastery of matter are used as instrumentality for the benefit of society. The Islamic Empire saw itself at the forefront of science for around 500 years. The science of the Islamic Empire was characterized both by its employment of the practicality of knowledge derived from the translation of texts from other societies and by advances in natural philosophy. Natural philosophy may have played a much smaller role in Islamic science, but it should not be overlooked. Al ma'mun built observatories up to three stories high to gain a better understanding of the cosmos. With these instruments, Islamic astronomers made accurate descriptions of the heavens and created their own geocentric views of the orbits of celestial bodies. Attached to many of these observatories were large libraries. Islamic libraries contained a wealth of knowledge taken from other civilizations and translated into Arabic, such as the House of Wisdom. These libraries had more than 2 million books, a huge achievement considering they had no movable type. The Islamic Empire also saw great advances in mathematical understanding with the creation of trigonometry and algebra. The Islamic Empire went to great lengths to expand its understanding of the natural world. The caliph sent scholars to Persia, Rome and Greece who brought back texts translated into Arabic. There were court-appointed patronages that allowed for mastery of the secular sciences. This effort enabled advances in abstract studies on topics such as optics and mathematics. Medical schools are… middle of paper… the atrocity of institutions of higher learning was intended to implement teachings for the betterment of society. The Islamic Empire explored natural philosophy and employed these understandings instrumentally. They accumulated the natural philosophy of other cultures and expanded their ideas according to practicality. The Islamic Empire was the most advanced scientific nation for 500 years, but it declined because there was little need for improvement in its functioning. The career scientist existed only among the rich. The Islamic Empire is focused on the instrumentality of science, but even with a pronounced focus on instrumentality, the Islamic Empire experienced a dynamic between the dichotomy of instrumentality and natural philosophy, each seemingly distinct branch of science ebbing and flowing with support and the progress of science. each other.