Aristoteles

Aristoteles

Aristotle (384–322 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Lyceum, the Peripatetic school of philosophy, and the Aristotelian tradition. His writings cover many subjects including physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theatre, music, rhetoric, psychology, linguistics, economics, politics, and government. Aristotle provided a complex synthesis of the various philosophies existing prior to him, and it was not until the advent of the Renaissance that many of his principles were revived. Aristotle's influence on Western philosophy and Western civilization is profound, and his works laid the groundwork for much of Western philosophy that followed.

Life

Aristotle was born in the city of Stagira in Northern Greece. His father, Nicomachus, served as the royal physician to King Amyntas of Macedonia, which exposed Aristotle to the Macedonian court. At the age of seventeen or eighteen, he moved to Athens to continue his education at Plato's Academy. Aristotle remained in Athens for nearly twenty years before leaving after Plato's death. He then traveled, eventually settling at the court of Philip II of Macedonia, where he tutored Philip's son, who would become Alexander the Great.

After Alexander succeeded his father, Aristotle returned to Athens and established his own school, the Lyceum. During this period, Aristotle engaged in a comprehensive study of the philosophical and scientific knowledge of his time, which he used to teach his students. He wrote many texts, although only a fraction have survived.

Philosophy and Works

Aristotle's philosophical endeavors spanned a wide range of disciplines. In metaphysics, his work on the theory of being led to the development of the concept of substance and the essence of objects. His ethics, particularly the concept of the Golden Mean, was a significant contribution to the field. In politics, Aristotle theorized about the best forms of government and the role of the citizen in the polity.

In the realm of science, Aristotle's work in biology and zoology was based on empirical observation and classification. His Physics laid the groundwork for the study of motion and the concept of the prime mover. Aristotle's contributions to logic, especially his development of syllogistic reasoning, were unparalleled until the modern era.

Legacy

Aristotle's works were lost to the Western world for a considerable period but were preserved by Islamic scholars. His texts were reintroduced to the West through translations from Arabic to Latin in the 12th century. During the Renaissance, Aristotelian philosophy was revived and integrated into Christian theology, particularly by Thomas Aquinas. In the modern era, while some of his scientific theories have been superseded, Aristotle's philosophical insights continue to be studied and revered.

See Also

• Plato
• Socratic method
• Alexander the Great
• Thomas Aquinas