Aristotle was the greatest scientist
of the ancient world. He is considered the father of the natural
sciences. Aristotle
believed in using logic and reason, rather than the anger or pleasure
of gods, to explain events.
Aristotle
was born in Macedonia, a land north of the Greek peninsula. At that
time, many Greeks believed Macedonia was a backward place with no
culture. Aristotle moved to Athens and studied at Plato's Academy.
He remained at the school for more than twenty years until shortly
after Plato died.
Aristotle then returned to Macedonia,
where King Philip hired him to tutor Alexander, Philip's thirteen-year-old
son. The boy later grew up to become Alexander the Great, one of
the greatest military conquerors of all time. Aristotle returned
to Athens in 335BC and opened a school he called the Lyceum. Alexander
provided Aristotle with the money for research. While he was conquering
the world, Alexander sent animals and plants back to the Lyceum
for Aristotle to study.
Aristotle wrote 170 books, 47 of
which remain. He wrote about astronomy, zoology, geography, geology,
physics, anatomy and many other fields. He wrotes about what other
had learned before him, about what his students learned in their
research, and what he observed on his own. Aristotle
was a also a philosopher who wrote about ethics, psychology, economics,
theology, politics, and rhetoric.
Aristotle's greatest
influence was in the theory of logic. He believed there was a explanation
for everything that happened in the universe. Aristotle made many
mistakes, but his ideas were the basis of scientific inquiry.
In The School of Athens, by Raphael, Aristotle is
the younger man. To his left is Plato, his friend and teacher. Plato
is seeking answers from above, while Aristotle argues that truth
can be found here on earth. Read about both philosophers to understand
their beliefs.
Ancient Greece