“It is evident, then, that the city belongs among the things that exist by nature, and that man is by nature a political animal.”
– Aristotle, The Politics
Biography
Born in 384 BCE in Stagira, in the northwest of Greece, Aristotle, unlike Plato, was not a scion of high born Athenian aristocracy, nor even a citizen of Athens. He was a resident alien (a “metic”), a foreigner who was devoid of political rights. Nevertheless, he was from a renowned family. His father Nicomachus was a royal physician at the Macedonian court. Aristotle received a first-rate education, which was supervised by his guardian after the death of his father. [Read More]
Introduction
Known in the Middle Ages as simply “the Philosopher,” and called by Dante “the master of those who know,” Aristotle composed as many as 200 treatises, of which we have only thirty-one. [Read More]
Recommended Works
Featured Video
Aristotle’s writings are usually considered to be treatises. But are they actually more like dialogues? What are the implications if so? Ronna Burger of Tulane offers her take.