Aristotle (384–322 BCE) was a Greek philosopher, logician, and scientist. The founder of the science of logic, he made significant and lasting contributions to nearly every aspect of human knowledge. Aristotle is one of the most significant figures in philosophy—his achievement has been fundamental to the development of Western philosophy.
Born in the small Greek town of Stagiros, later Stagira, in Greek Macedonia, Aristotle joined Plato’s Academy at the age of 17. He remained there for 20 years, and even though his respect for Plato was always great, differences developed, which ultimately caused a rift.
After Plato’s death, Aristotle tutored the young Alexander the Great and founded the Lyceum school of philosophy outside Athens in 335 BCE. The Lyceum is the forerunner of modern educational and research institutions.
Aristotle is one of the most prominent thinkers in the history of Western thought. His work was fundamental to Islāmic and medieval Christian philosophy—in Arabic philosophy, he was known only as “The First Teacher;” and in the West, he was “The Philosopher.”
Aristotle produced a large number of writings, but comparatively few have survived. They cover nearly every branch of human knowledge—logic, ethics, metaphysics, politics, the weather, planetary motions, natural science, and physics. His principal works are the Organon (six treatises on logic and syllogism,) Politics (the conduct of the state,) Poetics (analysis of poetry and tragedy,) and Rhetoric.
Aristotle organized all the knowledge of his time into a coherent whole, which served as the basis for much of medieval science and philosophy. He espoused the principle of the golden mean (as did Confucius, independently) that the best path in life was the one between two extremes, or “moderation in all things.”
Following the decline of the Roman Empire, Aristotle was largely forgotten by the West. In the intervening time, he had a profound effect on the development of Islāmic philosophy. Islāmic scholarship eventually provided for medieval Christian scholasticism, and Aristotle’s scholarship was resurrected in particular through the work of Thomas Aquinas.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Aristotle
The happy life is thought to be one of excellence; now an excellent life requires exertion, and does not consist in amusement.
—Aristotle
Topics: Excellence
Watch the costs and the profits will take care of themselves.
—Aristotle
Democracy arose from men’s thinking that if they are equal in any respect, they are equal absolutely.
—Aristotle
Topics: Freedom, Democracy
All that one gains by falsehood is, not to be believed when he speaks the truth.
—Aristotle
It is not once nor twice but times without number that the same ideas make their appearance in the world.
—Aristotle
Topics: Appearance, Ideas
A great city is not to be confounded with a populous one.
—Aristotle
Topics: City Life, Cities
Virtue is more clearly shown in the performance of fine actions than in the non-performance of base ones.
—Aristotle
Topics: Performance
Again, men in general desire the good, and not merely what their fathers had.
—Aristotle
Topics: Desire
The greatest injustices proceed from those who pursue excess, not by those who are driven by necessity.
—Aristotle
Topics: Justice
In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme.
—Aristotle
Topics: Democracy
Melancholy men are of all others the most witty.
—Aristotle
Topics: Wit, Humor
For what is the best choice, for each individual is the highest it is possible for him to achieve.
—Aristotle
Topics: Success & Failure, Choice, Achievement
Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers.
—Aristotle
Topics: Property
Praise invariably implies a reference to a higher standard.
—Aristotle
Topics: Praise
Cruel is the strife of brothers.
—Aristotle
Topics: Family
Justice is to give to every man his own.
—Aristotle
Topics: Justice
All men by nature desire to know.
—Aristotle
Topics: Knowledge, Desire, Nature
The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.
—Aristotle
Topics: Awareness, Survival
This is the reason why mothers are more devoted to their children than fathers: it is that they suffer more in giving them birth and are more certain that they are their own.
—Aristotle
Topics: Parents, Children
Wicked men obey out of fear; good men, out of love.
—Aristotle
Topics: Love
Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.
—Aristotle
Topics: Perfection, Enthusiasm, Business, Work, Excellence, Jobs
He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god.
—Aristotle
Topics: Solitude, Society
Friends are an aid to the young, to guard them from error; to the elderly, to attend to their wants and to supplement their failing power of action; to those in the prime of life, to assist them to noble deeds.
—Aristotle
Topics: Friendship
Probable impossibilities are to be preferred to improbable possibilities.
—Aristotle
Topics: Philosophy, Possibilities, Potential
The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousandfold.
—Aristotle
Topics: Honesty, Truth
Happiness is an expression of the soul in considered actions.
—Aristotle
Topics: Happiness, Action
For both excessive and insufficient exercise destroy one’s strength, and both eating and drinking too much or too little destroy health, whereas the right quantity produces, increases or preserves it. So it is the same with temperance, courage and the other virtues…This much then, is clear: in all our conduct it is the mean that is to be commended.
—Aristotle
Topics: Action
It is the mark of an instructed mind to rest satisfied with the degree of precision which the nature of the subject admits and not to seek exactness when only an approximation of the truth is possible.
—Aristotle
Topics: Excellence
All virtue is summed up in dealing justly.
—Aristotle
Topics: Virtue, Justice, Virtues
The most perfect political community must be amongst those who are in the middle rank, and those states are best instituted wherein these are a larger and more respectable part, if possible, than both the other; or, if that cannot be, at least than either of them separate.
—Aristotle
Topics: Class
Therefore, the good of man must be the end of the science of politics.
—Aristotle
Topics: Politics
Bad men are full of repentance.
—Aristotle
Topics: Forgiveness, Repentance
Character is that which reveals moral purpose, exposing the class of things a man chooses or avoids.
—Aristotle
Topics: Character, Class
Happiness is a sort of action.
—Aristotle
Topics: Happiness
The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.
—Aristotle
Topics: Equality
The basis of a democratic state is liberty.
—Aristotle
Topics: Liberty
Teaching is the highest form of understanding.
—Aristotle
Topics: One liners, Teaching
It is easy to perform a good action, but not easy to acquire a settled habit of performing such actions.
—Aristotle
Topics: Goodness
There is a foolish corner even in the brain of the sage.
—Aristotle
Topics: Fools
Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all
—Aristotle
Topics: Heart
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