Biography of Aristotle

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Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and scientist who lived from 384-322 B.C who was born in Stagira, Macedonia. His father played a major role in society as a physician in the royal court. Young Aristotle took a liking to Plato and decided to go to his academy at the age of seventeen. For the next twenty years, Aristotle remained there first as a student then as a teacher. After the death of Plato, Aristotle moved to Assos in the Asia Minor where he tutored his friend Hermias who was the ruler there and decided to marry his niece. After his death he then tutored Alexander the Great at the capital of Macedonia known as Pella. Later in his life, Aristotle decided to move back to Athens, Greece to open up his own school known as Lyceum. “Upon the death of Alexander in 323 B.C., strong anti-Macedonian feeling developed in Athens, and Aristotle retired to a family estate in Euboea (Évvoia). He died there the following year” (Brumbaugh, Robert S.). Before he had died, the Athenians charged Aristotle, like Socrates, with impiety that means a lack of reverence to the gods. He remembered the fate that Socrates once had where he was condemned to death. “He fled to the city of Chalcis so the Athenians would not, as he said, "sin twice against philosophy” (Soll, Ivan).

Aristotle has written many works in his lifetime and has had many ideas. One of his many ideas was his idea of freedom. He had many opinions on the way one should

live their life. “Aristotle argued that the goal of human beings is happiness and that we achieve happiness when we fulfill our function” (Soll, Ivan). What Aristotle means by this is that you have to figure out what makes you happy in life and do whatever it takes for one to reach that ultimate goal of happiness. In order to do this, we must figure out what our function is. “Thus, according to Aristotle, a happy life for human beings is a life governed by reason” (Soll, Ivan).

A book that Aristotle wrote in 350 B.C. was called Nicomachean Ethics Book III that deals with his idea of freedom. The purpose of this book is to express his beliefs of the importance of human actions and how those actions could shape up their lives. What he also does is emphasis the difference between voluntary and involuntary actions. Involuntary actions are those that are presented in ignorance or under pressure. An act is under pressure only when i...

... middle of paper ...

...s situation worse if the coach decided to punish the whole team by making them run extra and then his teammates would be disappointed with him. What people must do is realize that the choices they make in life will not only benefit themselves, but will affect those around him/her. One must be as responsible as they can possibly be in order to obtain total happiness, which is their ultimate goal in life according to Aristotle. I agree with Aristotle in his way of thinking because I feel one must make the right decision in life and be responsible with those decisions that they make. Aristotle learned a lot back in this time period when education was very hard to find and this is why he is considered one of the most famous and respected people in Greek history.

Works Cited

Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics Book III. Editorial.

Classics of Philosophy.

Louis P. Pojman. 304. Oxford University Press, Inc.

1998. 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016.

Brumbaugh, Robert S. “Aristotle," Microsoft®

Encarta® Online Encyclopedia

2003. http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2003 Microsoft

Corporation.

Soll, Ivan. "Aristotle," World Book Online Americas

Edition,

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