In the history and developments of western thought, the achievements of Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) are stunning and unrivaled. He wrote extensively on biology, psychology, ethics, physics, metaphysics and politics.
Aristotle's Education
Aristotle received his education from the age of 17 in Plato's "Academy" where he studied for about 20 years until Plato's death.
Like his ancient teacher Plato, and the medieval philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle also used the cosmological argument on the premise that something caused the universe to exist, and this first cause must be God, the Prime Mover.
Later, he founded his own institution, "the Lyceum," where he expounded a philosophy different in method and content from his former teacher.
In his studies, Aristotle made many observations and strict classification of data that he is often regarded as the father of empirical science and scientific method. He always undertook his investigation by considering opinions of both expert and lay people, before detailing his own arguments.
Aristotelian Ethics
Aristotle's work lies in his concept of teleology or purpose. It heavily impressed on him that the behavior of all things, animate and inanimate, is directed toward some final purpose ("telos") or goal.
He believed that the concept of purpose could be invoked to explain the behavior of everything in the universe. His reasoning lay in his idea that everything has a natural function that strives to fulfill or show that function.
Through this concept of function, Aristotle tied ethics to physics, claiming that the natural function of man is to reason. His ethics focuses on the agent's character, as either morally good or morally bad.
Aristotle's Philosophy in the Diversity of Human Knowledge
In contradiction to pre-Socratics and Plato, Aristotle rejected the idea that the diverse branches of human inquiry, in principle, could be subsumed under one discipline based on some universal philosophic principle.
He went on to argue that different sciences require different axioms according to their subject. He maintained though that certain metaphysical categories such as quantity, quality, substance and relation, were applicable to all phenomena's descriptions.
Influence on Western Philosophy
After his death in 322 BC, Aristotle's works were lost for some 200 years but rediscovered in Crete.
Later translated in Latin by Boethius around AD 500, Aristotle's influence spread throughout Syria and Islam while Christian Europe ignored him in favor of Plato. It was until St Thomas Aquinas reconciled his works with Christian doctrine in the 13th century that he became influential in western Europe.
Aristotle's Works
- Nicomachean Ethics - One of the most important and influential works on ethics that has ever been written. It contains a discussion on virtue and its relationship to well-being and happiness.
- Politics - Discusses the ideal city-state, classifies and discusses the merits and demerits of various types of government.
- Physics - Discusses topics such as matter, form, causation, space, time and motion.
Sources:
- Clark, John, Ed. Illustrated Biographical Dictionary. London: Chancellor Press, 1978.
- McGovern, Una, Ed. Biographical Dictionary. Edinburgh: Chambers/Harrap Publishers, 2002.
- Stokes, Philip. Philosophy: The Great Thinkers. London: Arcturus Publishing, 2007.
