Aristotle (~384–322 BCE)

Aristotle (~384–322 BCE) was a person.

• Context:
  • …
• Example(s):
  • Aristotle studied under Plato (~425-347BCE) at the Academy in Athens, where he spent two decades developing his philosophical ideas before founding his own school, the Lyceum.
  • Around 350 BCE, Aristotle wrote the "Nicomachean Ethics," a seminal text that introduced the concept of virtue ethics, focusing on moral character and the pursuit of eudaimonia (flourishing).
  • Aristotle tutored Alexander the Great (356BC-323BC), influencing the young prince with ideas that shaped his approach to leadership and empire-building.
  • Aristotle's establishment of the Lyceum in 335 BCE led to a gathering of scholars who would study a wide range of subjects, from logic to zoology, fostering an environment of intellectual exchange.
  • Aristotle's departure from Platonic idealism to develop his own empirical approach mark significant personal and intellectual milestones.
  • His work "On the Soul" (De Anima), written around 350 BCE, explored the nature of life and the human mind, laying the groundwork for psychology and cognitive science.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Plato (~425-347BCE).
  • Socrates (~469-399BCE).
  • Alexander the Great (356BC-323BC).
• See: Philosopher, Aristotle's Gymnasium.

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References

2014

• (Wikipedia, 2014) ⇒ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle Retrieved:2014-7-8.
  • Aristotle ( , Aristotélēs ; 384) was a Greek philosopher and scientist born in Stagirus, northern Greece, in . His father, Nicomachus, died when Aristotle was a child, whereafter Proxenus of Atarneus became his guardian. At eighteen, he joined Plato's Academy in Athens and remained there until the age of thirty-seven (c. ). His writings cover many subjectsincluding physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theater, music, rhetoric, linguistics, politics and governmentand constitute the first comprehensive system of Western philosophy. Shortly after Plato died, Aristotle left Athens and, at the request of Philip of Macedon, tutored Alexander the Great between 356 and . According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, "Aristotle was the first genuine scientist in history. ... Every scientist is in his debt."Teaching Alexander the Great gave Aristotle many opportunities and an abundance of supplies. He established a library in the Lyceum which aided in the production of many of his hundreds of books. The fact that Aristotle was a pupil of Plato contributed to his former views of Platonism, but, following Plato's death, Aristotle immersed himself in empirical studies and shifted from Platonism to empiricism. He believed all peoples' concepts and all of their knowledge was ultimately based on perception. Aristotle's views on natural sciences represent the groundwork underlying many of his works. Aristotle's views on physical science profoundly shaped medieval scholarship. Their influence extended into the Renaissance and were not replaced systematically until the Enlightenment and theories such as classical mechanics. Some of Aristotle's zoological observations were not confirmed or refuted until the 19th century. His works contain the earliest known formal study of logic, which was incorporated in the late 19th century into modern formal logic. In metaphysics, Aristotelianism profoundly influenced Judeo-Islamic philosophical and theological thought during the Middle Ages and continues to influence Christian theology, especially the scholastic tradition of the Catholic Church. Aristotle was well known among medieval Muslim intellectuals and revered as "The First Teacher". His ethics, though always influential, gained renewed interest with the modern advent of virtue ethics. All aspects of Aristotle's philosophy continue to be the object of active academic study today. Though Aristotle wrote many elegant treatises and dialogues Cicero described his literary style as "a river of gold" it is thought that only around a third of his original output has survived.

~350 BC

• (Aristotle, 350 BC) ⇒ Aristotle. (~350 BC). "Nicomachean Ethics." In: Classical Texts.
  • NOTES:
  • It is one of the foundational texts of virtue ethics, focusing on the development of good character and the importance of virtues in achieving eudaimonia (flourishing).
  • It emphasizes the role of reason and the golden mean in living a morally virtuous life.

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