The Life of Aristotle

By grif, Student

The significance of Aristotle's philosophy and teaching on modern life.

An essay hosted at LiteratureClassics.com

We look back upon the great teachers of all time and think, Plato, Socrates, Mrs Pulka, (how’d that get in there), and the great Aristotle. Aristotle was born 384 BC and died 322 BC, during his time alive he was recognised widely as being one of the most famous ancient Greek philosophers and intellects, and presented some very creative (as well as founded) theories on how the world works.

His future success as a great educator may have been related to his adolescent beginnings. Born son of the royal physician in Macedonia, Aristotle was influenced by the teachings of his farther at an early age. He was effected more so however by his secondary teacher, the great intellectual Plato, at the age of 17. He attended Plato’s academy in Athens for 20 years, as a student and then as a teacher.

After the untimely death of Plato in 347 BC, Aristotle moved from Athens to a place known as Asia Minor, where he his friend Hermias was the King. There, Aristotle tutored the King but more importantly married his niece and adopted their daughter. Two years later, 345 BC Hermias was captured and killed by the Persians, and Aristotle thought it appropriate to leave Asia Minor to become the tutor to yet another king, or rather a king to be: Alexander.

There in Macedonia, Aristotle tutored the young boy, from Alex, to the Alexander the Great we remember him as today. Once Alexander became king in 335 BC Aristotle once again left the place he called home and returned to Athens to set up a school much similar to what Plato had done years before.

During those years Aristotle developed himself into the renounced philosopher that he is known as today. Creating theories and doctrines on:
§ physics: he believed in a finite spherical universe comprised of five elements acting in a linear nature: Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Aither.
§ Biology: Aristotle supposed that there were definate speacies each reproducing true to type. The natural world followed a linear hyraci from the strong to the weak.
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§ Psychology: in aritsotle’s case, psychology was not so much the study of the mind, but rather the study of the soul, that keeps the mind in order.
§ Ethics: ethics, Aristotle believed defined society and separated man from the animals. It was indeed ones founded ethics that decided the nature of a man.
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§ Logic: logic, in aristotle’s mind was the key to thinking, without these basic deductions man would be left a point A. He set the examples and rules of logic at the time.
§ Metaphysics: perhaps the most famous of his doctrines was the idea of a supreme being, known as the Primary Mover. It was the role of the prime mover to keep the world and the secondary movers in order. It is the goal of the physical to achieve a state of metaphysical form, perfection.

You may have noticed between all these iteams a common link or theme, that all things including time and space, moved in a “pefect” straight, linear manner.


Years later in 323 BC when Alexander died and left the throne an anti-mededonian feeling developed in Athens so Aristotle retired from his great works, to his estate where he died the following year.