Aristotle
Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath, founder of the Peripatetic school.
Aristotle (384–322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. He founded the Peripatetic school at the Lyceum in Athens, launching the Aristotelian tradition that laid the groundwork for modern science. His writings cover natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, and the arts.
Details of his life are sparse. Born in Stagira, Chalkidiki, his father Nicomachus died when he was young, and a guardian raised him. Around age eighteen, he joined Plato’s Academy in Athens, staying until he was thirty-seven. After Plato’s death, Aristotle left Athens and, at Philip II of Macedon’s request, began tutoring Philip’s son Alexander the Great in 343 BC. At the Lyceum, he built a library that helped him produce hundreds of books on papyrus scrolls.
Only about a third of his original work survives, none of it intended for publication. He synthesized earlier philosophies, and his methods of inquiry remain debated today. His views shaped medieval scholarship profoundly: his physical science influenced late antiquity through the Renaissance, only replaced systematically during the Enlightenment with theories like classical mechanics. He impacted Judeo-Islamic philosophies and Christian theology, especially Neoplatonism and Catholic scholasticism. Medieval Muslims called him “The First Teacher”; Christians like Thomas Aquinas simply called him “The Philosopher.” He is often called the first scientist. His works contain the earliest known systematic study of logic, studied by scholars such as Peter Abelard and Jean Buridan, and his logic influenced thought well into the 1800s. His ethics, always influential, has seen renewed interest with modern virtue ethics.
- born
- 384 BC in Stagira, Chalcidice
- died
- 322 BC in Chalcis, Euboea
- field
- Philosophy, natural sciences, logic, ethics, politics, biology, botany, physics, metaphysics, poetics
- nationality
- Ancient Greek
- known_for
- Founder of the Peripatetic school; earliest systematic study of logic; influence on medieval scholarship and modern science
Lore & Background
Little is known about Aristotle's life. He was born in Stagira, Chalkidiki, during the Classical period. His father, Nicomachus, died when Aristotle was a child, and he was brought up by a guardian. At around eighteen years old, he joined Plato's Academy in Athens and remained there until the age of thirty-seven. Shortly after Plato died, Aristotle left Athens and, at the request of Philip II of Macedon, tutored his son Alexander the Great beginning in 343 BC. He established a library in the Lyceum, which helped him to produce many of his hundreds of books on papyrus scrolls.
Though Aristotle wrote many treatises and dialogues for publication, only around a third of his original output has survived, none of it intended for publication. Aristotle provided a complex synthesis of the various philosophies existing prior to him. His teachings and methods of inquiry have had a significant impact across the world, and remain a subject of contemporary philosophical discussion. He died in Chalcis, Euboea of natural causes in 322 BC.
Reader's Guide
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. Aristotle was revered among medieval Muslim scholars as 'The First Teacher', and among medieval Christians like Thomas Aquinas as simply 'The Philosopher'. He has been referred to as the first scientist. His works contain the earliest known systematic study of logic, and were studied by medieval scholars such as Peter Abelard and Jean Buridan. His influence on logic continued well into the 19th century. In addition, his ethics, although always influential, has gained renewed interest with the modern advent of virtue ethics.
Did You Know?
- Aristotle was born in Stagira, Chalcidice, about 55 km east of modern-day Thessaloniki.
- He tutored Alexander the Great beginning in 343 BC at the request of Philip II of Macedon.
- Only around a third of Aristotle's original output has survived, none of it intended for publication.
- He was revered among medieval Muslim scholars as 'The First Teacher' and among medieval Christians as 'The Philosopher'.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"My lectures are published and not published; they will be intelligible to those who heard them, and to none beside." — Aristotle "Knowledge of the fact differs from knowledge of the reason for the fact." — Aristotle "A.1, 184a.16 sqq, source:, Book I, Part 1, Tr. R. P. Hardie, R. K. Gaye." — Aristotle "[U]niversal is known according to reason, but that which is particular, according to sense..." — Aristotle
More in Notable Figures
Elsewhere in the Historical Figures universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record