...Aristotle (Ancient Greek: Ἀριστοτέλης, Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology. Together with Plato and Socrates (Plato's teacher), Aristotle is one of the most important founding figures in Western philosophy. Aristotle's writings were the first to create a comprehensive system of Western philosophy, encompassing morality, aesthetics, logic, science, politics, and metaphysics. Aristotle's views on the physical sciences profoundly shaped medieval scholarship, and their influence extended well into the Renaissance, although they were ultimately replaced by Newtonian physics. In the zoological sciences, some of his observations were confirmed to be accurate only in 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 had a profound influence on philosophical and theological thinking in the Islamic and Jewish traditions in the Middle Ages, and it continues to influence Christian theology, especially the scholastic tradition of the Catholic Church. Aristotle was well known among medieval Muslim intellectuals and revered as المعلم الأول - "The First Teacher". His ethics, though always influential, gained...
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...Jennifer Canon PHI - 2010-15850 T 7PM Aristotle the Great Philosopher The Greek philosopher Aristotle made significant and lasting contributions to nearly every aspect of human knowledge, from logic to biology to ethics and aesthetics. In Arabic philosophy, he was known simply as “The First Teacher”; in the West, he was “The Philosopher.” Aristotle was born in 384 B.C. northern Greece in a town called Stagria . Both of his parents were members of traditional medical families, and his father, Nicomachus, served as court physician to King Amyntus III of Macedonia. Some believe it to be his father's influence that gave Aristotle his interest in anatomy and the structure of living things in general. At age 17 he went to Athens to enroll in Plato's Academy. He spent the next 20 years first as a student and then as a teacher at the school. When he left the school he emerged as a great teacher and had many opinions about his teacher Plato. For the next five years, Aristotle went to the coast of Asia Minor as a guest of former students at Assos and Lesbos. It was here that he began his research into marine biology and married his wife Pythias, with whom he had his only daughter, also named Pythias. In 342 Aristotle was summoned to Macedonia by King Philip II to tutor his son, the future Alexander the Great. Although speculation concerning Aristotle's influence upon the developing Alexander has proven irresistible to historians, in fact little concrete is known about...
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...Aristotle As an important figure head in the field of philosophy, Aristotle and his numerous influences will be detailed. Identification and evaluation of key concepts and analyses that comprised his theories will be discussed along with identification and description of his contributions to the field of philosophy will also be offered. Lastly, further discussion will focus on how the culture and the time period influenced his ideology. Metaphysics Metaphysics is a branch philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being. It is considered to be one of the greatest philosophical works. It kind of piggy backs off of Plato’s theory of forms. Plato believed that the nature of things is eternal and doesn’t change, but we know from just living in this world that things are always changing daily. Aristotle wanted to reconcile these contradictory statements of the views of the world. Aristotle used the influence of both Heraclitus and Parmenides. One believed that things appear to be permanent but they are really gradually changing all the time. Parmenides, argued certain conclusions could be reached by using reason alone and making no use of senses. After studying at the Academy, Aristotle would turn against his teaching and felt that there was a connection between the abstraction of existence and the science of nature. Aristotle described substance as material reality and formal and discusses the connection between actuality and potentiality. According to...
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..."gadfly" (horsefly) who ceasely irritated his fellow citizens into investigating their beliefs. Making many powerful enemies in the course of his life, Socrates was sentenced to death by the Athenian Assembly in 399 BC. One of Socrates' wonders is that he invented rigorous, ethical investigation. His conversations with his fellow Athenians, as recorded by Plato, are the first records we have of an individual, by his own careful reasoning, trying to discover the guiding principles of moral choices. METAPHYSICS Because Socrates always claimed that his only wisdom was that he knew nothing, it is difficult to determine his metaphysics, his view of reality. However, in some accounts of his conversations, like Plato’s EUTHYPHRO, we may catch glimpse of his beliefs. Socrates seemed to hold that individual entities, like holy actions, have universal characteristics, like Holiness, which can be discovered by the mind after careful investigation. This may mean that he anticipate Plato’s metaphysics that thee is higher, eternal world of truths (like Holiness) which exists independently of this world. EPISTEMOLOGY Socrates’s epistemology, his theory of how knowledge is possible, is very difficult to determine because he appears not to have a great deal of interest in the subject. Socrates would much rather have talked about the purpose of life, than the process by which the minds gains knowledge of the purpose of life. His claims that he knew nothing, except that he knew nothing, might...
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...while predicate logic uses more complex premises called formulae that contain variables. These can be assigned values or can be quantified as to when they apply with the universal quantifier (always apply) or the existential quantifier (applies at least once). Inductive reasoning makes conclusions or generalizations based on probabilistic reasoning. For example, if “90% of humans are right-handed” and “Joe is human” then “Joe is probably right-handed”. Fields in logic include mathematical logic (formal symbolic logic) and philosophical logic. Metaphysics Main article: Metaphysics Metaphysics is the study of the most general features of reality, such as existence, time, the relationship between mind and body, objects and their properties, wholes and their parts, events, processes, and causation. Traditional branches of metaphysics include cosmology, the study of the world in its entirety, and ontology, the study of being. Within metaphysics itself there are a wide range of differing philosophical theories. Idealism, for example, is the belief that reality is mentally...
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...if Aristotle had never been born, the world would be different because since logic is the fundamental to arguing and since good arguments are fundamental to philosophy and life it then creates an entire basis on communication, my second argument is dipping into the turbulent but astounding knowledge through metaphysics as we go we start to explore and uncover the free will and truths behind the ultimate nature of reality, my last argument will be on what Aristotle accomplished during the time when he taught Alexander The Great. There's many different forms of philosophy that we are exposed to everyday, logic is one of the many that's used by all humans that are grounded on this planet, it is also the foundation of rigorous math, without logic...
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...Introduction Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) entered Plato’s academy at the age of seventeen and spent twenty years with Plato. During his stay with Plato, he expressed his brilliance such that Plato considered him as the brilliant mind of the academy. Given this relationship, Plato influenced Aristotle in one way or the other such that some people even considered Aristotle a successor of Plato when Plato died. However, this never distracted Aristotle from taking a different path in his career. In fact, Aristotle contrasted with Plato in many areas. He also criticized him because he argued in different manner (Newport, 1998). On the other hand, Aristotle had various components in his system. This paper evaluates the key components of Aristotle’s system and the various contrasts of his philosophical works in relation to that of Plato. The paper starts by evaluating the key components of Aristotle’s system before it evaluates the contrasts between their worldviews. Key components The first key component of Aristotle’s system is metaphysics. This component explains Aristotle’s philosophical views and the history of philosophy. Based on this component, Aristotle showed the relationship between the form and nature of history. He also became the first person who identified the technological language because of this component (Masih, 1999). With the help of this component, Aristotle also established both practical and theoretical reasoning. The second component of the Aristotle’s system...
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...Written: May 1st, 2002 Aristotle Aristotle was born in 289 BC, as the son of Nichomachus. He was born at Stagira in Macedonia, which is located on the northwest coast of the Aegean Sea in Northern Greece. His farther was a friend and also the physician of the King of Macedonia. Since Aristotle's’ farther was so close to the King of Macedonia, Aristotle spent a great deal of his childhood time at the court. Being at the court would later show to be a great influence in his life. People that lived in ancient Greece through Aristotle’s time usually only carried one name, and they were also referred to by the place from which they were born at. Because of this, Aristotle was often commonly known as “Aristotle of Stagira”. When Aristotle was just about the age of ten, his farther died and Aristotle was taken under the care of a man who was named Proxenus. At the age of 17, Proxenus sent Aristotle to Athens, which at the time was the intellectual center of the world. Aristotle went there to complete his education. He enrolled at the most famous academy in Athens, which was directed by Plato. Aristotle soon became a prominent figure at this academy. While at this academy, Aristotle threw himself totally into the works of Plato’s Pursuit of the truth and goodness, even though Aristotle departed from the master’s teachings on many points. Aristotle was Plates’ most famous pupil and Plato soon start calling him “the mind of the school”. After Years of Aristotle being at that school...
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...Aristotle (b. 384 - d. 322 BC), was a Greek philosopher, logician, and scientist. Along with his teacher Plato, Aristotle is generally regarded as one of the most influential ancient thinkers in a number of philosophical fields, including political theory. Aristotle’s’ writing reflects his time, background and beliefs. Aristotle was born at Stagira, in Macedonia. His father, Nichomacus, was the personal physician to the King of Macedonia, Amyntas. At the age of seventeen, Aristotle left for Athens to study at Plato’s Academy. He studied at the Academy for about twenty years, up until Plato’s death. Plato’s death sent Aristotle to a city in Asia Minor, called Assos, where his friend, Hermias was ruler. It was in Assos where Aristotle met, Pythias, who is described as either a niece or daughter of Hermias, who Aristotle married after the murder of Hermias, by the Persians. Aristotle then went to Pella, the capitol of Macedonia, where he became the tutor for the king’s son, Alexander, who later became Alexander the Great. When Alexander became King, Aristotle went to Athens where he began to lecture at the Lyceum. He lectured while walking about in one of its covered walkways, earning him the nickname Peripatetic”, which means walking about. Aristotle lectured and directed the Lyceum for twelve years, producing during this time the lecture notes which now form his works. Only a small amount of Aristotle’s works have survived. The writings...
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...Plato and Aristotle Submitted to: Sr. Dennis San Gregorio Reported by: Legaspi, Mary Rose T. 1bsed SOCRATES BIOGRAPHY OF SOCRATES SOCRATES, the celebrated Greek philosopher and moralist, was born at Athens in the year 469 B.C. His father, Sophroniskus, was a sculptor and he followed the same profession in the early part of his life. His family was respectable in descent, but humble in point of means. He had the usual education of the Athenian citizen, which included not only a knowledge of the mother tongue, and readings in the Greek poets, but also the elements of arithmetic, geometry and astronomy as then known. Excepting in connection with his philosophical career, few circumstances of his life are known. He served as a hoplite, or heavy-armed foot-soldier, at the siege of Potidaea, at the battle of Deliurn, and at Amphipolis, and his bravery and endurance were greatly extolled by his friends. PLATO BIOGRAPHY OF PLATO Plato was born around the year 428 BCE in Athens. His father died while Plato was young, and his mother remarried to Pyrilampes, in whose house Plato would grow up. Plato's birth name was Aristocles, and he gained the nickname Platon, meaning broad, because of his broad build. His family had a history in politics, and Plato was destined to a life in keeping with this history. He studied at a gymnasium owned by Dionysios, and at the palaistra of Ariston of Argos. When he was young he studied music and poetry. According to Aristotle, Plato...
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...November 13, 2009 Aristotle “All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire.” (Aristotle), this quote has great meaning to me because this is the true reasoning behind human actions. This quote helps show that Aristotle was one of the most important founding figures in Western philosophy. It was Aristotle who was the first to create a comprehensive system of Western philosophy and in this philosophy he encompassed morality and aesthetics, logic and science, politics and metaphysics. Aristotle accomplished much throughout his life Aristotle was born 384 BC in Stagira in northern Greece, about 34 miles east of modern-day Thessaloniki. Aristotle father, Nicomachus and he was a court physician to the king of Macedon. Aristotle was trained and educated as a aristocracy. When Aristotle was at the young age of 18, he traveled to Athens to study under his future teacher, Plato at Plato’s academy. There is much information about Aristotle while he was working with Plato even though Aristotle stayed and studied with Plato for a full 20 years. But shortly after Plato’s death Aristotle left Athens to conduct philosophical and biological research with Xenocrates and to court of his friend Mermias of Atarneus. While in Asia, Aristotle traveled with Theophrastus to the island of Lesbos, where together they researched the botany and zoology of the island. Soon after their exhibition Aristotle married Hermias's...
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...ARISTOTLE Aristotle was born in Stagira, a “Grecian colony. His father was a court physician to the King Amyntas of Macedonia. It is believed that his purse of studies is due to his father’s influence of practicing medicine. He died at his country house at Chalcis, in Euboea at the age of sixty-two years old in the year of 322 B.C. He died to an illness he suffered from for a long period of time. There were legends that told his death to be because of hemlock poisoning, as well as another legend, it was said he couldn’t explain the tides so he threw himself into the sea. Aristotle was a high-minded, kind hearted man devoted to his family and his friends. He was a man who followed the ideals he outlined in his ethical treaties (“Aristotle”). During the time frame of thirteen years when Aristotle taught at his school, called Lyceum, he composed his writings into dialogues (“Aristotle”). His school was widely known as the walking school or the Peripatetic school because a lot of the discussion at the school took place while walking the grounds (“Encarta: Aristotle”). He taught the young conqueror Alexander, who became Alexander the Great, and thereafter his writings were lost and not recovered until the 1st century B.C. During the middle ages they were translated into Latin and Arabic and became a basis for Christian theology. In 2000 years no one has came close to his brilliance...
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...I. THE THEORY OF THE IDEAS AND PLATO’S ONTOLOGY I. 1. The ontological dualism The theory of the Ideas is the base of Plato’s philosophy: the Ideas are not only the real objects ontologically speaking, but they are the authentically objects of knowledge epistemologically speaking. From the point of view of ethics and politics, they are the foundation of the right behaviour, and anthropologically speaking they are the base of Plato’s dualism and they even allow him demonstrate the immortality of the soul. Plato defends a clear ontological dualism in which there are two types of realities or worlds: the sensible world and the intelligible world or, as he calls it, the world of the Ideas. The Sensible World is the world of individual realities, and so is multiple and constantly changing, is the world of generation and destruction; is the realm of the sensible, material, temporal and space things. On the contrary, the Intelligible World is the world of the universal, eternal and invisible realities called Ideas (or "Forms"), which are immutable and do not change because they are not material, temporal or space. Ideas can be understood and known; they are the authentic reality. The Ideas or Forms are not just concepts or psychic events of our minds; they do exist as objective and independent beings out of our consciences. They are also the origin of sensible things, but although they are the authentic beings, Plato, unlike Parmenides of Elea, do not completely...
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...Aristotle Crystal Lancaster Philosophy 105 10/31/2013 Martha Stillman Aristotle(384-322 B.C.E.) Was one of the greatest thinkers of all time? He was the teacher of Alexander the Great and a student of Plato. Aristotle was also one of the most important figures in Western Philosophy. His writings were some of the first to incorporate ethics, logic, science, and metaphysics. His influences on physical science stretched into the Renaissance. In his writings on ethics, he reflected that ethics were practical and not theoretical. He wrote that to achieve morally good ethics one has to be trained by experience, and educators. Logic is the method of how we derive to know anything. He thought that by nature man is blind to morality. He suggests that man is a natural unmoral being. He backs this up by saying that man is born without knowledge. Morality comes from knowledge so man has to acquire this. He suggests that the choices we make after birth determine whether we are immoral or moral. He believed that each man has a unique nature. Aristotle seems to be pretty attacking in his account of human nature since he sees man as totally dependent on others else he is to be useless. I have always found Aristotle to be very intriguing. I can remember reading about Aristotle in high school and it immediately captured my attention. He has many different views...
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...explained by B, and B by C, but in the end there will be some one object on whom all other objects depend” Richard Swinburne. The cosmological argument is an a posteriori argument which therefore basis it’s conclusions on observations and experience; this is difficult to challenge. Over many years, different scholars have added their opinions to Aristotle and Plato’s contributions, making that argument stronger. The most famous version of the cosmological is associated with the Christian apologist Thomas Aquinas. In his Summa theological he sets out to demonstrate that the universe requires an explanation and this explanation demands a necessary and non-contingent being, God. This ides is key at the heart of all cosmological arguments. “The series must start with something, since nothing can come from nothing” Metaphysics. Plato and Aristotle postulated the need for a craftsman for their arguments with the fact of motion, which, they argued, needs a prior agency to motivate it. This mover would, itself, have no further mover, because it would be a primes mover, which is a self-actualising, necessary being. Neither Aristotle nor Plato understood how the universe could exist without such a mover. Aquinas further developed this idea in his first and second way. Aquinas’ first way states that all things are in motion (a state of change: for Aquinas, “motion is the reduction of something from potentiality to actuality”) but since nothing moves itself, there must be a...
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