Aristotle (384-322 BCE)

• An Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath.

• Founder of the Peripatetic school of philosophy in the Lyceum in Athens, he began the wider Aristotelian tradition that followed, which set the groundwork for the development of modern science.

• His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, and the arts.

• Revered among medieval Muslim scholars as "The First Teacher", and among medieval Christians like Thomas Aquinas as simply "The Philosopher", while the poet Dante called him "the master of those who know". His works contain the earliest known formal study of logic, and were studied by medieval scholars such as Peter Abelard and Jean Buridan. Aristotle's influence on logic continued well into the 19th century. In addition, his ethics, although always influential, gained renewed interest with the modern advent of virtue ethics.

• Aristotle's views profoundly shaped medieval scholarship. The influence of his physical science extended from late antiquity and the Early Middle Ages into the Renaissance, and was not replaced systematically until the Enlightenment and theories such as classical mechanics were developed. He influenced Judeo-Islamic philosophies during the Middle Ages, as well as Christian theology, especially the Neoplatonism of the Early Church and the scholastic tradition of the Catholic Church.

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Quotes by Aristotle:

• Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.

• To know yourself, you must spend time with yourself, you must not be afraid to be alone.

• Be a free thinker and don’t accept everything you hear as truth. Be critical and evaluate what you believe in.

• It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

• The purpose of knowledge is action, not knowledge.

• Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others.

• Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

• Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives – choice, not chance, determines your destiny.

• Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.

• Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.

• It is our choice of good or evil that determines our character, not our opinion about good or evil.

• Nature does nothing uselessly.

• The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain.

• Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life: the whole aim and end of human existence.

• He who has overcome his fears will truly be free.

• The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.

• It is our choice of good or evil that determines our character, not our opinion about good or evil.

• Greatness of spirit is accompanied by simplicity and sincerity.

• The true end of tragedy is to purify the passions.

• The proof that you know something is that you are able to teach it.

• I have gained this from philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law.

• Men are swayed more by fear than by reverence.

• Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.

• All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire.

 

 

Key Takeaways From Aristotle:

 

Self-reflect, Daily

• Aristotle believed in the importance of self-reflection and self-understanding (like his predecessors Plato and Socrates). Without self-knowledge and without knowing what you stand for, it’s hard to live a fulfilling life. Meditate, think, and journal each day.

Observe And Experiment

• Observations and experimentations were vital to learning. Knowledge, without applying it, is useless. So don’t be scared to try new things, fail, and try again. It’s the fastest way to master new skills.

Live With Virtue

• Living with virtue was key to living a happy life. Practice courage, respect for others, temperance, and fairness.

Surround Yourself With Good People

• Friendship was important for our happiness. So cut toxic people out of your life. Create more time for the good ones.

Self-improve

• Setting goals and improving ourselves. Without them, it’s hard to feel fulfilled. So spend time each day learning new things, exploring, and reading. Set one important goal for yourself. Do whatever it takes to accomplish it. Aim for self-mastery.

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