Читать реферат по английскому: "ARISTOTLE Essay Research Paper ARISTOTLE Aristotle is" Страница 2

(Назад) (Cкачать работу)

Academies

Moreover, Aristotle left his home when he was seventeen years old in order to make the journey to Athens. Athens was after all the city of philosophers and general knowledge. In 376 BC, soon after his arrival in Athens, Aristotle entered Plato’s school. He stayed in Plato’s school for about twenty years, until about the time of Plato’s death.

While Aristotle was enrolled in Plato’s school, the school had evolved into a place of intensive study of all knowledge rather than a place where one would only recite the works of Homer. This was well suited to the needs of Aristotle and his devouring appetite for knowledge. After the end of his student days in this school Aristotle still continued with the school by lecturing, writing, and pursuing his research. Aristotle often touched on controversial issues in his lectures, igniting a flame within his listeners.

However, Aristotle left not only the school, but Athens as well, around 347 BC upon the invitation of King Hermias of Assos in Asia Minor. Around fifteen years later, he opened his own establishment in Athens, the Lyceum. This school, the Peripatetic school, was not one that focused on reading, writing, arithmetic, and the sciences. In fact, there was no classroom or diploma, but rather Aristotle would give lectures to two groups of people at school or at designated areas. In the morning he lectured to a select few, usually heavily involved in his research, and in the evenings to the general public. In his endeavor to create a new school, Aristotle opened an impressive library filled with some of the greatest of all works. It was the largest collection of books in history, and was the model for the famous State libraries of Alexandria and Pergamum.

Differences in the fundamental attitudes of the schools were that while early philosophers such as Plato had directed their thinking to figuring out how you could improve human society, the Peripatetic school was focused more on observation rather than speculation and research rather than intuition.

Death

While in the realm of Hermias, Aristotle continued his studies and philosophical inquires. Moreover, he took Hermias’s niece, Pythias, as his bride during his stay. Information on his life with his young bride is extremely limited. However, evidence suggests that they had a very happy life together. Sometime later Aristotle returned to Athens (335-334 BC) And it is around this time that his wife died. Pythias left him a daughter also named Pythias. Arguments exist as to whether or not Aristotle then had an ongoing affair with a woman named Herpyllis whom bore him a son, Nicomachus. There are those who greatly dispute this claim. Again Aristotle ventured back to Macedonia when Philip of Macedon invited him to tutor his son Alexander. This is the same Alexander who became known as Alexander the Great. When Alexander had firm control over Athens, the city was made a much friendlier place for Aristotle. It is within this time period that Aristotle truly begins to flourish.

Finally, in 323 BC Alexander the Great died in Babylon, leaving Athens and other cities in revolt. It was again an unstable place for Aristotle to live and work. Soon after the death of Alexander the Great, Aristotle was charged with impiety, as Socrates had been. In order to prosecute Aristotle, they used a hymn he had written for Hermias years prior to the death of Alexander and the subsequent loss of Macedonian control in Athens. Aristotle left Athens for Chalcis, on Euboea, his mother’s old home. In regards to his withdrawal from Athens and noting the similarity of charges brought against Socrates, he is quoted as stating that he would “not let Athens sin twice against philosophy” (Edel 26). He lived in Euboea for another year before his death in 322 BC. Scholars believe, generally, that he died of a stomach illness. However there are those who have their own ideas about how Aristotle died. (See-Myth of Aristotle’s Suicide)

WRITINGS

Aristotle is the author of several books about the sciences, mostly metaphysics and meteorology. He is also responsible for some of the world’s most important philosophical writings. Aristotle began his writing during Plato’s lifetime and there are similarities in the style of their writing. In fact, critics of the time praised Aristotle as being the second most accomplished writer next to Plato.

Here is a list of some of his writings:

Posterior Analytics

Topics

De Partibus Animalium

Historia Animalium

Ethics

De Sensu et Sensibili

De Memoria et Reminiscentia

De Anima (books I – III)

Politics

Rhetoric

Metaphyics (books I – XII)

Meterology (books I – IV)

THE MYTH OF ARISTOTLE’S SUICIDE

According to the Vita Aristotelis Hesychii, II Vita Aristotelis Syriaca and many similar records of the time written by Eumelus, Aristotle either died of a broken heart or took his own life. This is a popular assumption of the time about philosophers in general. Aristotle supposedly committed suicide by drinking poison hemlock at the age of seventy. This story, many say, is too close to the circumstances of Socrates’ death, an earlier philosopher who like Aristotle, was condemned. Socrates, however, was condemned to death by drinking hemlock, not exile. Aristotle actually fled before his trial. In actuality, there are very few similarities between the two. Still it is possible that Eumelus’ account is simply a naive transfer of Socrates’ manner of death to Aristotle.

What Makes A Life Worth Living?

To the select few men Aristotle felt could live a worthwhile life, he

Похожие работы