鄂蘭是一位論述開端問題的傑出思想家，對於現代科學連同現代世界的開端，她也有著許多獨到的見解。以胡塞爾為代表的現象學傳統將現代科學的開端歸功於伽利略的一項理論工作：將自然數學化。然而，鄂蘭卻以一種別樣的方式將伽利略帶到了現代的起點上，認為伽利略對望遠鏡的發明和使用才是真正開端新時代的事件。這一事件為科學家們帶來遠離地球的阿基米德點，使得作為一切顯現之境域的大地疏異為普遍─宇宙視角下的一顆小小星球。正是在此基礎上，胡塞爾和海德格所強調的一種對自然或世界的數學化處理才有可能。然而，數學化雖然極大地提升了科學家們「算計」存在者的能力，卻導致了對存在者意義的抽空。科學家們最初在阿基米德式的希望中一路高歌，卻在面對現代科學的最終成就時茫然若失。

As a preeminent thinker of beginnings, Hannah Arendt develops many original thoughts concerning the beginning of the modern science and the modern world. Phenomenological tradition, exemplified by Husserl, ascribes the beginning of the modern science to one theoretical work done by Galileo, namely the mathematization of nature. Arendt, however, brings Galileo to the starting point of the modern world in a very special way, regarding that it was the invention, or more precisely, the usage of the telescope by Galileo, as an event, that really ushered in a new era. This event brought to the scientists the Archimedean Point beyond the earth that, as the condition or horizon for all appearances, has been alienated as a little globe in the universal perspective of the universe. It was on this basis that a mathematic treatment of nature or world became possible. Having greatly improved the scientists' ability of calculating on beings, mathematization nevertheless has emptied the meanings of them. After elating all the way with the Archimedean hope in those old days, scientists found themselves totally lost when facing the ultimate accomplishments of their own researches.