One of the most recognized minds in philosophy, Aristotle is a founding father of many schools of philosophy, law, science, and ethics.

Aristotle was born in 384 BCE in Stagirus, Macedonia. His father, Nicomachus, was a physician to the King Amyntas of Mecadonia. Nicomachus died when Aristotle was fairly young, leaving the boy under the care of a guardian named Proxenus.

Aristotle was sent to Athens at the age of seventeen to study at Plato's Academy, where he studied for twenty years, until Plato's death. While there, Aristotle rose to be one of the best students at the Academy, though he disagreed with Plato frequently.

Aristotle left to live in the court of his friend Hermeas for three years. While he was there, he married Hermeas' niece Pythias. Several years later he married a woman named Herpyllis, and named their son after his father.

Later, Hermeas' kingdom was taken over by Persians, and Aristotle moved to Mytilene. Soon after, King Philip requested Aristotle to serve as a tutor to his thirteen-year-old son, Alexander the Great. Aristotle did this for five years until Alexander came to power following his father's death. In return for his services, the young king provided Aristotle with books and tools for scientific research.

Aristotle returned to Athens in 335 BCE and founded his own school, the Lyceum, which would compete with the Academy (now headed by Xenocrates). In the twelve years that this school was open Aristotle wrote many of his famous peices, including Metaphysics and Politics.

In 323 BCE, Alexander the Great died and Athens was overthrown. Aristotle, because of his ties with the Macedonian family, was forced to flee to Chalcis in Euboea where he died a year later.

Works

• Poetics
  
• Politics
  
• Physics
  
• Metaphysics
  
• The Organon
  
  • The Categories