Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and scientist born in the city of Stagira, Chalkidice, on the northern periphery of Classical Greece. His father, Nicomachus, died when Aristotle was a child, whereafter Proxenus of Atarneus became his guardian. At eighteen, he joined Plato's Academy in Athens and remained there until the age of thirty-seven. His writings cover many subjects – including physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theater, music, rhetoric, linguistics, politics and government – and constitute the first comprehensive system...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPhilosopher
determination animal men
For man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but, when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all; since armed injustice is the more dangerous, and he is equipped at birth with the arms of intelligence and with moral qualities which he may use for the worst ends. Wherefore, if he have not virtue, he is the most unholy and the most savage of animals, and the most full of lust and gluttony. But justice is the bond of men in states, and the administration of justice, which is the determination of what is just, is the principle of order in political society.
dwelling reply single soul
To the query, ''What is a friend?'' his reply was ''A single soul dwelling in two bodies.''
friend greek-philosopher soul true
A true friend is one soul in two bodies.
accomplish action complete imitation incidents itself pity tragedy
A tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious, and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself . . . with incidents arousing pity and terror, with which to accomplish its purgation of these emotions.
capable common faculty man possess though
Man is the only animal capable of reasoning, though many others possess the faculty of memory and instruction in common with him.
above advice greek-philosopher honor piety requires truth
Piety requires us to honor truth above our friends.
acute best eyes middle moderate others persons position sign vision
The eyes of some persons are large, others small, and others of a moderate size; the last-mentioned are the best. And some eyes are projecting, some deep-set, and some moderate, and those which are deep-set have the most acute vision in all animals; the middle position is a sign of the best disposition.
breeding cases expressed loud mostly musical noisy others utter
Some animals utter a loud cry. Some are silent, and others have a voice, which in some cases may be expressed by a word; in others, it cannot. There are also noisy animals and silent animals, musical and unmusical kinds, but they are mostly noisy about the breeding season.
current either expression imitate imitator necessity objects ought painter rare terms three vehicle
The poet, being an imitator like a painter or any other artist, must of necessity imitate one of three objects - things as they were or are, things as they are said or thought to be, or things as they ought to be. The vehicle of expression is language - either current terms or, it may be, rare words or metaphors.
genius greek-philosopher
There was never a genius without a tincture of madness.
animals cunning easily fond gentle
Some animals are cunning and evil-disposed, as the fox; others, as the dog, are fierce, friendly, and fawning. Some are gentle and easily tamed, as the elephant; some are susceptible of shame, and watchful, as the goose. Some are jealous and fond of ornament, as the peacock.
clearly consider fully persuaded persuasion since sort
Persuasion is clearly a sort of demonstration, since we are most fully persuaded when we consider a thing to have been demonstrated.
assured attain knowledge
To attain any assured knowledge about the soul is one of the most difficult things in the world.
appears directly either proved statement statements
A statement is persuasive and credible either because it is directly self-evident or because it appears to be proved from other statements that are so.