ARISTOTLE
("Aristoteles Louvre." Photograph of marble bust. Roman copy, circa 1st century CE. Marble. Louvre Museum, Paris. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aristoteles_Louvre.jpg.)
What would you teach the boy who became Alexander the Great?
384–322 B.C. · Macedonia and Athens
Aristotle completes the great philosophical triumvirate of ancient Greece. Born to the court physician of the king of Macedonia, he studied the natural sciences from an early age, then went to Athens, joined Plato’s Academy, and maintained a constant dialogue with Plato until Plato’s death some twenty years later.
- Born: 384 B.C., son of the court physician to the king of Macedonia
- Studied at: Plato’s Academy in Athens, for about twenty years
- Tutored: The young Alexander the Great at Pella, 345–342 B.C.
- Founded: The Lyceum in Athens, 335 B.C., a rival to Plato’s Academy
- Died: 322 B.C., in Chalcis, after fleeing an anti-Macedonian backlash in Athens
Should we trust what our senses tell us?
Hover or tap each idea to look closer
- Trust the SensesIn epistemology, Aristotle is best known for his argument in favor of the validity of sense perception and scientific observation.
- Against Ideal FormsHe argued against the Platonic view of ideal forms dimly perceived through corrupted matter.
- A Constant DialogueAs a member of Plato’s Academy, Aristotle maintained a constant dialogue with Plato on many subjects for some twenty years.
- Contemplation and ResearchIndicative of his competing philosophical position, Aristotle’s Lyceum was a center for both philosophic contemplation and empirical research.
- Lectures on EverythingHis surviving works appear to have been lectures given at the Lyceum. They cover politics, physics, ethics, economics, a historical analysis of the Athenian Constitution, and much more.
Aristotle’s philosophy was as influential on Western thought as Plato’s.
Aristotle completes the great philosophical triumvirate of ancient Greece. The medieval Scholastic movement was, in its essence, an attempt to reconcile his philosophy and Plato’s with Christian doctrine, and from this effort came the modern discipline of theology.
Where to read more about Aristotle.
- 1981Aristotle the PhilosopherAckrill, J. L. · Oxford University Press
- 1988Aristotle: The Desire to UnderstandLear, Jonathan · Cambridge University Press
- 1991Ethics with AristotleBroadie, Sarah · Oxford University Press
- 1995AristotleRoss, W. D. · Routledge · sixth edition, first published 1923
- 2000Aristotle: A Very Short IntroductionBarnes, Jonathan · Oxford University Press
- Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Aristotleiep.utm.edu
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Aristotleplato.stanford.edu
- Project Gutenberg: Works by AristotleFree public-domain translations of Aristotle’s works.gutenberg.org
("Aristotle Altemps Inv8575." Photograph of marble bust. Roman copy, circa 1st century CE. Marble. National Roman Museum, Palazzo Altemps, Rome. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aristotle_Altemps_Inv8575.jpg.)
A Roman-era marble bust of Aristotle from the Altemps Museum, featuring his iconic bald head, beard, and intense gaze, a copy of an ancient Greek original.
("Aristoteles Louvre." Photograph of marble bust. Roman copy, circa 1st century CE. Marble. Louvre Museum, Paris. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aristoteles_Louvre.jpg.)
An Imperial Roman copy of a lost bronze sculpture by Lysippos, housed in the Louvre, portraying Aristotle with a stern expression and draped cloak, embodying philosophical depth.
(Ribera, Jusepe de. "Aristotle." Oil on canvas. Circa 1630. 125 cm × 99 cm. Private collection. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aristotle_by_Jusepe_de_Ribera.jpg.)
A dramatic 17th-century oil painting by Jusepe de Ribera depicting Aristotle in shadow and light, with a quill and book, capturing the philosopher in contemplative solitude.