Aristotle Facts & Worksheets

• He worked with Theophrastus, a native of Lesbos who was also known in ancient times for his ties to Plato’s Academy, on his philosophical and empirical research for two more years. Aristotle married Pythias, the niece of Hermeias, while he was in Lesbos. They had a daughter named Pythias. Philip, the king of Macedon, asked Aristotle to leave Lesbos and go to Pella, the capital of Macedon, in 343. There, he taught the king’s son Alexander, who would later become known as Alexander the Great. 
• It's tempting to speculate about how Aristotle may have influenced Alexander's development, but there isn't much solid evidence of their interactions. It makes sense to think that Alexander got some schooling between the ages of 13 and 15, which only lasted two to three years. At the age of fifteen, Alexander reportedly served as a deputy military commander under his father. This situation challenges, albeit not definitively, the assessments of historians who propose a more extended period of education. Nonetheless, some believe that their association lasted for eight years. The possibility cannot be definitively excluded, as there is limited knowledge regarding Aristotle’s life during the years 341–335.
• Aristotle spent an additional five years in Stagira or Macedon before returning to Athens for the second and final time in 335 BCE. Aristotle established his school in Athens, located in a public exercise area dedicated to the god Apollo Lykeios. That's why it was called the Lyceum. Individuals associated with Aristotle’s institution were subsequently referred to as Peripatetics, likely due to the presence of an ambulatory (peripatos) on the school’s grounds next to the exercise area. Members of the Lyceum engaged in research across various disciplines that were of interest to Aristotle, including botany, biology, logic, music, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, cosmology, physics, the history of philosophy, metaphysics, psychology, ethics, theology, rhetoric, political history, government and political theory, as well as the arts.
• The Lyceum gathered manuscripts in these domains, thus reportedly creating the first significant library of antiquity, according to certain ancient sources. During this time, Aristotle's wife, Pythias, passed away, and he began a new relationship with Herpyllis, who may also have been from Stagira. However, there is still debate about her origins and the nature of her relationship with Aristotle. Some argue that she was his slave, while others deduce from the stipulations in Aristotle’s will that she was a freed woman and probably his wife at the time of his death. They had children together, including a son named Nicomachus, after Aristotle’s father, which is likely the origin of the title of his work, Nicomachean Ethics.
• In 323 BCE, after thirteen years in Athens, Aristotle had reason to leave the city once more. His departure was likely prompted by a resurgence of persistent anti-Macedonian sentiment in Athens, which intensified following Alexander’s death from disease in Babylon that same year. Due to his ties to Macedon, Aristotle justifiably feared for his safety. He departed from Athens, stating, as an often-recounted ancient narrative suggests, that he saw no justification for allowing Athens to wrong philosophy a second time. He retreated to Chalcis, located on Euboea, an island near the Attic coast, where he died of natural causes the subsequent year, in 322 BCE.

THE ARISTOTELIAN CORPUS

• People who are not used to reading Aristotle’s work often have a hard time with it. Initially, he employs numerous technical terms that aren't explained, and his sentence structure can be challenging to follow at times. There are also times when a chapter or even an entire treatise that he wrote seems to be poorly organised, if it is organised at all. Scholars have debated whether a continuous treatise currently presented under a single title was ever intended by Aristotle for publication in its existing format or was instead compiled by a later editor using arbitrary organisational principles. This elucidates why students who approach Aristotle following their initial exposure to the fluid and harmonious writing found in Plato’s dialogues frequently encounter frustration. Aristotle’s prose necessitates a period of adjustment.
• Aristotle’s surviving works appear to be lecture notes, initial drafts that were subsequently revised, ongoing records of investigations, and compilations meant for a select group rather than a broader audience. These writings should be contrasted with the “exoteric” texts that Aristotle occasionally references, which are his more polished compositions intended for a broader audience. Consequently, we primarily encounter unfinished works in progress rather than completed and refined productions. Many who continue to engage with Aristotle come to value the straightforwardness of his style. The unembellished state of Aristotle’s surviving treatises does not impede our understanding of their philosophical content. His thirty-one surviving works, included in the “Corpus Aristotelicum” of medieval manuscripts deemed authentic, all exhibit recognisable Aristotelian doctrine.
• Most of these works present theses with clear fundamental meanings, despite the presence of exegetical controversies regarding details and nuances. These works can be classified according to the organisational principles favoured by Aristotle. He designates the branches of learning as “sciences,” which are best understood as structured bodies of knowledge prepared for presentation rather than as continuous accounts of empirical research. Furthermore, in his terminology, the natural sciences, such as physics, represent a singular branch of theoretical science, encompassing both empirical and non-empirical endeavours. He differentiates theoretical science from studies that are more practice-oriented, including those related to human behaviour and those that emphasise productive crafts. Consequently, the Aristotelian sciences are categorised into three divisions:
  • Theoretical sciences prominently encompass what Aristotle termed “first philosophy,” now referred to as metaphysics, as well as mathematics and physics, also known as natural philosophy.
  • Practical sciences exhibit a lower degree of contention concerning their scope. This pertains to conduct and action at both individual and societal levels.
  • The productive sciences primarily encompass crafts focused on the creation of artefacts or, more broadly, human productions. The productive sciences encompass shipbuilding, agriculture, and medicine, as well as the arts of music, theatre, and dance.

FAMOUS WORKS OF ARISTOTLE

• The Golden Mean is a significant concept in Aristotle's philosophical work, particularly in ethics. But it's important to remember that Aristotle had an impact on all areas of knowledge at the time. In the field of ethics, he notably examined the distinction between voluntary and involuntary actions, advocating for individuals to maximise voluntary actions to attain optimal happiness. He recognised that individuals encounter numerous daily chores and responsibilities that may be undesirable; however, he proposed viewing these challenges as opportunities for personal growth and avenues to happiness.
• For instance, an individual may be reluctant to wash the dishes and perceive this task as an involuntary obligation. Aristotle would propose viewing dishwashing as a method to achieve the favourable outcome of a clean kitchen and sanitised plates for subsequent meals. This principle also applies to unappealing employment. Rather than perceiving employment as a barrier to happiness, it should be regarded as a means to acquire necessities such as groceries and clothing, as well as to fund travel and leisure activities. Numerous authors across various disciplines in the 20th and 21st centuries have emphasised the significance of positive thinking and gratitude; however, Aristotle was an earlier advocate of these concepts. In On the Soul, Aristotle examines the concept of memory, asserting that memories are impressions rather than dependable accounts of actual events.
• A memory’s significance alters with new experiences; thus, an individual’s recollection of an unpleasant event, such as a car accident, may transform if that event leads to meeting a significant other. Individuals selectively retain memories and shape their recollections according to the emotional narratives they construct for themselves and communicate to others. This concept has been examined since the mid-20th century by Freud and Jung, although neither of these individuals originally conceived it. His Politics examines the state’s concerns, which Aristotle perceives as a natural organic development inherent to any human community. The state should be understood not as a fixed structure imposed upon individuals, but rather as a dynamic entity formed by the very individuals who exist within its framework.