THE BIG THREE OF GREEK

PHILOSOPHY: SOCRATES, PLATO, AND

ARISTOTLE.
SEPTEMBER 19, 2014 STEVEN MICHAEL PERDUE 2 COMMENTS

Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BC and lasted through the Hellenistic period
(323 BC-30 BC). Greek philosophy covers an absolutely enormous amount of topics including:
political philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, ontology (the study of the nature of being, becoming,
existence, or reality), logic, biology, rhetoric, and aesthetics (branch of philosophy dealing with
art, beauty, and taste). Greek philosophy is known for its undeniable influence on Western
thought. Although there were Greek philosophers before their respective births, Socrates, Plato,
and Aristotle are the only three worth focusing on during this period.

Socrates, born in Athens in 470 BC, is often credited as one of the founders of Western
philosophy. The cloud of mystery surrounding his life and philosophical viewpoints propose a
problem; a problem so large that it’s given a name itself: The Socratic Problem. Since he did not
write philosophical texts, all knowledge related to him is entirely dependent on the writings of
other people of the time period. Works by Plato, Xenophon, Aristotle, and Aristophanes contain
all of the knowledge known about this enigmatic figure. His largest contribution to philosophy is
the Socratic method. The Socratic method is defined as a form of inquiry and discussion between
individuals, based on asking and answering questions to illuminate ideas. This method is
performed by asking question after question with the purpose of seeking to expose contradictions
in one’s thoughts, guiding him/her to arrive at a solid, tenable conclusion. The principle
underlying the Socratic Method is that humans learn through the use of reasoning and logic;
ultimately finding holes in their own theories and then patching them up.

Plato, student of Socrates, also has mystery surrounding him. His birth day is estimated to fall
between 428 BC and 423 BC. He’s known for being the founder of the Academy in Athens, the
first institution of higher learning in the Western world. My favorite of Plato’s contributions to
philosophy, and the one I’m going to focus on, is the Theory of Forms. This theory was created
to solve two problems, one of ethics and one of permanence and change. The ethical problem is:
how can humans live a fulfilling life in an ever changing world if everything that they hold close
to them can be easily taken away? The problem dealing with permanence and change is: How
can the world appear to be both permanent and changing? The world we perceive through senses
seems to be always changing–which is a pretty clear observation. The world that we perceive
through the mind, seems to be permanent and unchanging. Which world perceived is more real?
Why are we seen two different worlds?

To find a solution to these problems, Plato split the world into two: the material, or phyiscal,
realm and the transcendent, or mental, realm of forms. We have access to the realm of forms
through the mind, allowing us access to an unchanging world. This particular world is
invulnerable to the pains and changes of the material world. By detaching our souls from the
material world and our bodies and developing our ability to concern ourselves with the forms,
Plato believes this will lead to us finding a value which is not open to change. This solves the
ethical problem. Splitting existence up into two realms also leads us to a solution to the problem
of permanence and change. Our mind perceives a different world, with different objects, than our
senses do. It is the material world, perceived through the senses, that is changing. It is the realm
of forms, perceived through the mind, that is permanent.

Aristotle, student of Plato, lived from 384 BC-322 BC. At eighteen, he joined Plato’s Academy
in Athens and remained there until the age of thirty-seven. There, he honed his talents of
understanding the world. In his understanding of the world, he wrote his theory of the
universals–which I find to be extremely intriguing. The problem of the universals is the question
of whether properties exist, and if so, what exactly are they. To avoid confusion, a universal is a
metaphysical term describing what particular things have in common, focusing strictly
characteristics or qualities. His theory states that universals exist only where they are instantiated
(the concept that it is impossible for a property to exist which is not had by some object). In
simpler terms, he believes universals exist only in things, never apart from things–differing from
his teacher, Plato, on this. Aristotle believes that a universal is identical in each of its instances.
All round things are similar in that there is the same universal, characteristic, throughout.

These three laid the foundations of many of the believes of the rest of the Western world.
Philosophers such as John Locker and Descartes use the theories these brilliant minds brought
forth in their own works. I’m very interested to read your opinions, specifically on the Plato
theory.

references:
http://www.iep.utm.edu/plato/
http://www.iep.utm.edu/aristotl/
http://www.mrdowling.com/701-socrates.html
http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/socrates

Post navigation
PREVIOUS POSTThe good, the bad, and the ugly.
Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher considered to be the main
source of Western thought. He was condemned to death for his
Socratic method of questioning.
Who Was Socrates?
Socrates was a scholar, teacher and philosopher born in ancient Greece. His Socratic method laid
the groundwork for Western systems of logic and philosophy.

When the political climate of Greece turned against him, Socrates was sentenced to death by
hemlock poisoning in 399 B.C. He accepted this judgment rather than fleeing into exile.

Early Years
Born circa 470 B.C. in Athens, Greece, Socrates's life is chronicled through only a few sources:
the dialogues of Plato and Xenophon and the plays of Aristophanes.

Because these writings had other purposes than reporting his life, it is likely none present a
completely accurate picture. However, collectively, they provide a unique and vivid portrayal of
Socrates's philosophy and personality.

Socrates was the son of Sophroniscus, an Athenian stonemason and sculptor, and Phaenarete, a
midwife. Because he wasn't from a noble family, he probably received a basic Greek education
and learned his father's craft at a young age. It's believed Socrates worked as mason for many
years before he devoted his life to philosophy.

Contemporaries differ in their account of how Socrates supported himself as a philosopher. Both
Xenophon and Aristophanes state Socrates received payment for teaching, while Plato writes
Socrates explicitly denied accepting payment, citing his poverty as proof.

Socrates married Xanthippe, a younger woman, who bore him three sons: Lamprocles,
Sophroniscus and Menexenus. There is little known about her except for Xenophon's
characterization of Xanthippe as "undesirable."

He writes she was not happy with Socrates's second profession and complained that he wasn’t
supporting family as a philosopher. By his own words, Socrates had little to do with his sons'
upbringing and expressed far more interest in the intellectual development of Athens' other
young boys.
Life in Athens
Athenian law required all able-bodied males serve as citizen soldiers, on call for duty from ages
18 until 60. According to Plato, Socrates served in the armored infantry — known as the hoplite
— with shield, long spear and face mask.

He participated in three military campaigns during the Peloponnesian War, at Delium,

Amphipolis, and Potidaea, where he saved the life of Alcibiades, a popular Athenian general.

Socrates was known for his fortitude in battle and his fearlessness, a trait that stayed with him
throughout his life. After his trial, he compared his refusal to retreat from his legal troubles to a
soldier's refusal to retreat from battle when threatened with death.

Plato's Symposium provides the best details of Socrates' physical appearance. He was not the
ideal of Athenian masculinity. Short and stocky, with a snub nose and bulging eyes, Socrates
always seemed to appear to be staring.

However, Plato pointed out that in the eyes of his students, Socrates possessed a different kind of
attractiveness, not based on a physical ideal but on his brilliant debates and penetrating thought.

Socrates always emphasized the importance of the mind over the relative unimportance of the
human body. This credo inspired Plato’s philosophy of dividing reality into two separate realms,
the world of the senses and the world of ideas, declaring that the latter was the only important
one.

Philosophy
Socrates believed that philosophy should achieve practical results for the greater well-being of
society. He attempted to establish an ethical system based on human reason rather than
theological doctrine.

Socrates pointed out that human choice was motivated by the desire for happiness. Ultimate
wisdom comes from knowing oneself. The more a person knows, the greater his or her ability to
reason and make choices that will bring true happiness.

Socrates believed that this translated into politics with the best form of government being neither
a tyranny nor a democracy. Instead, government worked best when ruled by individuals who had
the greatest ability, knowledge and virtue, and possessed a complete understanding of
themselves.
Socratic Method
For Socrates, Athens was a classroom and he went about asking questions of the elite and
common man alike, seeking to arrive at political and ethical truths. Socrates didn’t lecture about
what he knew. In fact, he claimed to be ignorant because he had no ideas, but wise because he
recognized his own ignorance.

He asked questions of his fellow Athenians in a dialectic method — the Socratic

Method — which compelled the audience to think through a problem to a logical conclusion.
Sometimes the answer seemed so obvious, it made Socrates' opponents look foolish. For this, his
Socratic Method was admired by some and vilified by others.

During Socrates' life, Athens was going through a dramatic transition from hegemony in the
classical world to its decline after a humiliating defeat by Sparta in the Peloponnesian War.
Athenians entered a period of instability and doubt about their identity and place in the world.

As a result, they clung to past glories, notions of wealth and a fixation on physical beauty.
Socrates attacked these values with his insistent emphasis on the greater importance of the mind.

While many Athenians admired Socrates' challenges to Greek conventional wisdom and the
humorous way he went about it, an equal number grew angry and felt he threatened their way of
life and uncertain future.

Trial of Socrates
In 399 B.C., Socrates was accused of corrupting the youth of Athens and of impiety, or heresy.
He chose to defend himself in court.

Rather than present himself as wrongly accused, Socrates declared he fulfilled an important role
as a gadfly, one who provides an important service to his community by continually questioning
and challenging the status quo and its defenders.

The jury was not swayed by Socrates' defense and convicted him by a vote of 280 to 221.
Possibly the defiant tone of his defense contributed to the verdict and he made things worse
during the deliberation over his punishment.

Athenian law allowed a convicted citizen to propose an alternative punishment to the one called
for by the prosecution and the jury would decide. Instead of proposing he be exiled, Socrates
suggested he be honored by the city for his contribution to their enlightenment and be paid for
his services.

The jury was not amused and sentenced him to death by drinking a mixture of poison hemlock.
Socrates' Death
Before Socrates' execution, friends offered to bribe the guards and rescue him so he could flee
into exile.

He declined, stating he wasn't afraid of death, felt he would be no better off if in exile and said he
was still a loyal citizen of Athens, willing to abide by its laws, even the ones that condemned him
to death.

Plato described Socrates' execution in his Phaedo dialogue: Socrates drank the hemlock mixture
without hesitation. Numbness slowly crept into his body until it reached his heart. Shortly before
his final breath, Socrates described his death as a release of the soul from the body.
 Plato Biography
(c. 428 BCE–c. 348 BCE)





Ancient Greek philosopher Plato founded the Academy and is the
author of philosophical works of unparalleled influence in Western
thought.
Synopsis
Born circa 428 B.C.E., ancient Greek philosopher Plato was a student of Socrates and a teacher
of Aristotle. His writings explored justice, beauty and equality, and also contained discussions in
aesthetics, political philosophy, theology, cosmology, epistemology and the philosophy of
language. Plato founded the Academy in Athens, one of the first institutions of higher learning in
the Western world. He died in Athens circa 348 B.C.E.

Background
Due to a lack of primary sources from the time period, much of Plato's life has been constructed
by scholars through his writings and the writings of contemporaries and classical historians.
Traditional history estimates Plato's birth was around 428 B.C.E., but more modern scholars,
tracing later events in his life, believe he was born between 424 and 423 B.C.E. Both of his
parents came from the Greek aristocracy. Plato's father, Ariston, descended from the kings of
Athens and Messenia. His mother, Perictione, is said to be related to the 6th century B.C.E.
Greek statesman Solon.

Some scholars believe that Plato was named for his grandfather, Aristocles, following the
tradition of the naming the eldest son after the grandfather. But there is no conclusive evidence
of this, or that Plato was the eldest son in his family. Other historians claim that "Plato" was a
nickname, referring to his broad physical build. This too is possible, although there is record that
the name Plato was given to boys before Aristocles was born.

As with many young boys of his social class, Plato was probably taught by some of Athens'
finest educators. The curriculum would have featured the doctrines of Cratylus and Pythagoras as
well as Parmenides. These probably helped develop the foundation for Plato's study of
metaphysics (the study of nature) and epistemology (the study of knowledge).

Plato's father died when he was young, and his mother remarried her uncle, Pyrilampes, a Greek
politician and ambassador to Persia. Plato is believed to have had two full brothers, one sister
and a half brother, though it is not certain where he falls in the birth order. Often, members of
Plato's family appeared in his dialogues. Historians believe this is an indication of Plato's pride in
his family lineage.

As a young man, Plato experienced two major events that set his course in life. One was meeting
the great Greek philosopher Socrates. Socrates's methods of dialogue and debate impressed Plato
so much that he soon he became a close associate and dedicated his life to the question of virtue
and the formation of a noble character. The other significant event was the Peloponnesian War
between Athens and Sparta, in which Plato served for a brief time between 409 and 404 B.C.E.
The defeat of Athens ended its democracy, which the Spartans replaced with an oligarchy. Two
of Plato's relatives, Charmides and Critias, were prominent figures in the new government, part
of the notorious Thirty Tyrants whose brief rule severely reduced the rights of Athenian citizens.
After the oligarchy was overthrown and democracy was restored, Plato briefly considered a
career in politics, but the execution of Socrates in 399 B.C.E. soured him on this idea and he
turned to a life of study and philosophy.

After Socrates's death, Plato traveled for 12 years throughout the Mediterranean region, studying
mathematics with the Pythagoreans in Italy, and geometry, geology, astronomy and religion in
Egypt. During this time, or soon after, he began his extensive writing. There is some debate
among scholars on the order of these writings, but most believe they fall into three distinct
periods.

Early, Middle and Late Periods: An Overview

The first, or early, period occurs during Plato's travels (399-387 B.C.E.). The Apology of
Socrates seems to have been written shortly after Socrates's death. Other texts in this time period
include Protagoras, Euthyphro, Hippias Major and Minor and Ion. In these dialogues, Plato
attempts to convey Socrates's philosophy and teachings.

In the second, or middle, period, Plato writes in his own voice on the central ideals of justice,
courage, wisdom and moderation of the individual and society. The Republic was written during
this time with its exploration of just government ruled by philosopher kings.

In the third, or late, period, Socrates is relegated to a minor role and Plato takes a closer look at
his own early metaphysical ideas. He explores the role of art, including dance, music, drama and
architecture, as well as ethics and morality. In his writings on the Theory of Forms, Plato
suggests that the world of ideas is the only constant and that the perceived world through our
senses is deceptive and changeable.

Founding the Academy

Sometime around 385 B.C.E., Plato founded a school of learning, known as the Academy, which
he presided over until his death. It is believed the school was located at an enclosed park named
for a legendary Athenian hero. The Academy operated until 529 C.E.., when it was closed by
Roman Emperor Justinian I, who feared it was a source of paganism and a threat to Christianity.
Over its years of operation, the Academy's curriculum included astronomy, biology,
mathematics, political theory and philosophy. Plato hoped the Academy would provide a place
for future leaders to discover how to build a better government in the Greek city-states.

In 367 B.C.E., Plato was invited by Dion, a friend and disciple, to be the personal tutor of his
nephew, Dionysius II, the new ruler of Syracuse (Sicily). Dion believed that Dionysius showed
promise as an ideal leader. Plato accepted, hoping the experience would produce a philosopher
king. But Dionysius fell far short of expectations and suspected Dion, and later Plato, of
conspiring against him. He had Dion exiled and Plato placed under "house arrest." Eventually,
Plato returned to Athens and his Academy. One of his more promising students there was
Aristotle, who would take his mentor's teachings in new directions.

Final Years
Plato's final years were spent at the Academy and with his writing. The circumstances
surrounding his death are clouded, though it is fairly certain that he died in Athens around 348
B.C.E., when he was in his early 80s. Some scholars suggest that he died while attending a
wedding, while others believe he died peacefully in his sleep.

Plato's impact on philosophy and the nature of humans has had a lasting impact far beyond his
homeland of Greece. His work covered a broad spectrum of interests and ideas: mathematics,
science and nature, morals and political theory. His beliefs on the importance of mathematics in
education have proven to be essential for understanding the entire universe. His work on the use
of reason to develop a more fair and just society that is focused on the equality of individuals
established the foundation for modern democracy.

Fact Check
We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!
 Aristotle Biography
(c. 384 BCE–c. 322 BCE)





Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, together with Socrates and Plato,
laid much of the groundwork for western philosophy.
Who Was Aristotle?
Aristotle (c. 384 B.C. to 322 B.C.) was an Ancient Greek philosopher and scientist who is still
considered one of the greatest thinkers in politics, psychology and ethics. When Aristotle turned
17, he enrolled in Plato’s Academy. In 338, he began tutoring Alexander the Great. In 335,
Aristotle founded his own school, the Lyceum, in Athens, where he spent most of the rest of his
life studying, teaching and writing. Some of his most notable works include Nichomachean
Ethics, Politics, Metaphysics, Poetics and Prior Analytics.
Aristotle in The School of Athens, a fresco by Raphael, 1509.
Raphael [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Aristotle’s Books
Aristotle wrote an estimated 200 works, most in the form of notes and manuscript drafts touching
on reasoning, rhetoric, politics, ethics, science and psychology. They consist of dialogues,
records of scientific observations and systematic works. His student Theophrastus reportedly
looked after Aristotle’s writings and later passed them to his own student Neleus, who stored
them in a vault to protect them from moisture until they were taken to Rome and used by
scholars there. Of Aristotle’s estimated 200 works, only 31 are still in circulation. Most date to
Aristotle’s time at the Lyceum.
'Poetics'
Poetics is a scientific study of writing and poetry where Aristotle observes, analyzes and defines
mostly tragedy and epic poetry. Compared to philosophy, which presents ideas, poetry is an
imitative use of language, rhythm and harmony that represents objects and events in the world,
Aristotle posited. His book explores the foundation of storymaking, including character
development, plot and storyline.

'Nicomachean Ethics' and 'Eudemian Ethics'

In Nichomachean Ethics, which is believed to have been named in tribute to Aristotle’s son,
Nicomachus, Aristotle prescribed a moral code of conduct for what he called “good living.” He
asserted that good living to some degree defied the more restrictive laws of logic, since the real
world poses circumstances that can present a conflict of personal values. That said, it was up to
the individual to reason cautiously while developing his or her own judgment. Eudemian
Ethics is another of Aristotle’s major treatises on the behavior and judgment that constitute
“good living.”

On happiness: In his treatises on ethics, Aristotle aimed to discover the best way to live life and
give it meaning — “the supreme good for man,” in his words — which he determined was the
pursuit of happiness. Our happiness is not a state but but an activity, and it’s determined by our
ability to live a life that enables us to use and develop our reason. While bad luck can affect
happiness, a truly happy person, he believed, learns to cultivate habits and behaviors that help
him (or her) to keep bad luck in perspective.

The golden mean: Aristotle also defined what he called the “golden mean.” Living a moral life,
Aristotle believed, was the ultimate goal. Doing so means approaching every ethical dilemma by
finding a mean between living to excess and living deficiently, taking into account an
individual’s needs and circumstances.

'Metaphysics'
In his book Metaphysics, Aristotle clarified the distinction between matter and form. To
Aristotle, matter was the physical substance of things, while form was the unique nature of a
thing that gave it its identity.

'Politics'
In Politics, Aristotle examined human behavior in the context of society and government.
Aristotle believed the purpose of government was make it possible for citizens to achieve virtue
and happiness. Intended to help guide statesmen and rulers, Politics explores, among other
themes, how and why cities come into being; the roles of citizens and politicians; wealth and the
class system; the purpose of the political system; types of governments and democracies; and the
roles of slavery and women in the household and society.
'Rhetoric'
In Rhetoric, Aristotle observes and analyzes public speaking with scientific rigor in order to
teach readers how to be more effective speakers. Aristotle believed rhetoric was essential in
politics and law and helped defend truth and justice. Good rhetoric, Aristotle believed, could
educate people and encourage them to consider both sides of a debate. Aristotle’s work explored
how to construct an argument and maximize its effect, as well as fallacious reasoning to avoid
(like generalizing from a single example).

'Prior Analytics'
In Prior Analytics, Aristotle explains the syllogism as “a discourse in which, certain things
having been supposed, something different from the things supposed results of necessity because
these things are so.” Aristotle defined the main components of reasoning in terms of inclusive
and exclusive relationships. These sorts of relationships were visually grafted in the future
through the use of Venn diagrams.

Other Works on Logic

Besides Prior Analytics, Aristotle’s other major writings on logic include Categories, On
Interpretation and Posterior Analytics. In these works, Aristotle discusses his system for
reasoning and for developing sound arguments.

Works on Science
Aristotle composed works on astronomy, including On the Heavens, and earth sciences,
including Meteorology. By meteorology, Aristotle didn’t simply mean the study of weather. His
more expansive definition of meteorology included “all the affectations we may call common to
air and water, and the kinds and parts of the earth and the affectations of its parts.”
In Meteorology, Aristotle identified the water cycle and discussed topics ranging from natural
disasters to astrological events. Although many of his views on the Earth were controversial at
the time, they were re-adopted and popularized during the late Middle Ages.

Works on Psychology
In On the Soul, Aristotle examines human psychology. Aristotle’s writings about how people
perceive the world continue to underlie many principles of modern psychology.

Philosophy
Aristotle’s work on philosophy influenced ideas from late antiquity all the way through the
Renaissance. One of the main focuses of Aristotle’s philosophy was his systematic concept of
logic. Aristotle’s objective was to come up with a universal process of reasoning that would
allow man to learn every conceivable thing about reality. The initial process involved describing
objects based on their characteristics, states of being and actions.
In his philosophical treatises, Aristotle also discussed how man might next obtain information
about objects through deduction and inference. To Aristotle, a deduction was a reasonable
argument in which “when certain things are laid down, something else follows out of necessity in
virtue of their being so.” His theory of deduction is the basis of what philosophers now call a
syllogism, a logical argument where the conclusion is inferred from two or more other premises
of a certain form.

Aristotle and Biology

Although Aristotle was not technically a scientist by today’s definitions, science was among the
subjects that he researched at length during his time at the Lyceum. Aristotle believed that
knowledge could be obtained through interacting with physical objects. He concluded that
objects were made up of a potential that circumstances then manipulated to determine the
object’s outcome. He also recognized that human interpretation and personal associations played
a role in our understanding of those objects.

Aristotle’s research in the sciences included a study of biology. He attempted, with some error,
to classify animals into genera based on their similar characteristics. He further classified
animals into species based on those that had red blood and those that did not. The animals with
red blood were mostly vertebrates, while the “bloodless” animals were labeled cephalopods.
Despite the relative inaccuracy of his hypothesis, Aristotle’s classification was regarded as the
standard system for hundreds of years.

Marine biology was also an area of fascination for Aristotle. Through dissection, he closely
examined the anatomy of marine creatures. In contrast to his biological classifications, his
observations of marine life, as expressed in his books, are considerably more accurate.

When and Where Was Aristotle Born?

Aristotle was born circa 384 B.C. in Stagira, a small town on the northern coast of Greece that
was once a seaport.

Family, Early Life and Education

Aristotle’s father, Nicomachus, was court physician to the Macedonian king Amyntas II.
Although Nicomachus died when Aristotle was just a young boy, Aristotle remained closely
affiliated with and influenced by the Macedonian court for the rest of his life. Little is known
about his mother, Phaestis; she is also believed to have died when Aristotle was young.

After Aristotle’s father died, Proxenus of Atarneus, who was married to Aristotle’s older sister,
Arimneste, became Aristotle’s guardian until he came of age. When Aristotle turned 17,
Proxenus sent him to Athens to pursue a higher education. At the time, Athens was considered
the academic center of the universe. In Athens, Aristotle enrolled in Plato’s Academy, Greek’s
premier learning institution, and proved an exemplary scholar. Aristotle maintained a
relationship with Greek philosopher Plato, himself a student of Socrates, and his academy for
two decades. Plato died in 347 B.C. Because Aristotle had disagreed with some of Plato’s
philosophical treatises, Aristotle did not inherit the position of director of the academy, as many
imagined he would.

After Plato died, Aristotle’s friend Hermias, king of Atarneus and Assos in Mysia, invited
Aristotle to court.

Wife and Children

During his three-year stay in Mysia, Aristotle met and married his first wife, Pythias, King
Hermias’ niece. Together, the couple had a daughter, Pythias, named after her mother.

In 335 B.C., the same year that Aristotle opened the Lyceum, his wife Pythias died. Soon after,
Aristotle embarked on a romance with a woman named Herpyllis, who hailed from his
hometown of Stagira. According to some historians, Herpyllis may have been Aristotle’s slave,
granted to him by the Macedonia court. They presume that he eventually freed and married her.
Regardless, it is known that Herpyllis bore Aristotle children, including one son named
Nicomachus, after Aristotle’s father.

Teaching
In 338 B.C., Aristotle went home to Macedonia to start tutoring King Phillip II’s son, the then
13-year-old Alexander the Great. Phillip and Alexander both held Aristotle in high esteem and
ensured that the Macedonia court generously compensated him for his work.

In 335 B.C., after Alexander had succeeded his father as king and conquered Athens, Aristotle
went back to the city. In Athens, Plato’s Academy, now run by Xenocrates, was still the leading
influence on Greek thought. With Alexander’s permission, Aristotle started his own school in
Athens, called the Lyceum. On and off, Aristotle spent most of the remainder of his life working
as a teacher, researcher and writer at the Lyceum in Athens until the death of his former student
Alexander the Great.

Because Aristotle was known to walk around the school grounds while teaching, his students,
forced to follow him, were nicknamed the “Peripatetics,” meaning “people who travel about.”
Lyceum members researched subjects ranging from science and math to philosophy and politics,
and nearly everything in between. Art was also a popular area of interest. Members of the
Lyceum wrote up their findings in manuscripts. In so doing, they built the school’s massive
collection of written materials, which by ancient accounts was credited as one of the first great
libraries.

When Alexander the Great died suddenly in 323 B.C., the pro-Macedonian government was
overthrown, and in light of anti-Macedonia sentiment, Aristotle was charged with impiety for his
association with his former student and the Macedonian court. To avoid being prosecuted and
executed, he left Athens and fled to Chalcis on the island of Euboea, where he would remain
until his death a year later.

When and How Did Aristotle Die?

In 322 B.C., just a year after he fled to Chalcis to escape prosecution under charges of impiety,
Aristotle contracted a disease of the digestive organs and died.

Legacy
In the century following Aristotle’s death, his works fell out of use, but they were revived during
the first century. Over time, they came to lay the foundation of more than seven centuries of
philosophy. Aristotle’s influence on Western thought in the humanities and social sciences is
largely considered unparalleled, with the exception of his teacher Plato’s contributions, and
Plato’s teacher Socrates before him. The two-millennia-strong academic practice of interpreting
and debating Aristotle’s philosophical works continues to endure.

Related Profiles

Plato

Socrates