Aristotle, or Aristotelis, was, among other things, a famous philosopher and educator. One of the local universities in Thessaloniki proudly bears his name and, since his origins lie in Northern Greece, I thought it was time I explored his life and works.
He was born In Stageira - in the area of
Halkidiki - in 384 BC
. His father,
Nicomachus, was personal physician to King Amyntas of Macedon. However, he was
brought up by a guardian as his parents died when he was about 13. Given his
father’s connections, it has been mooted that in his youth he may have spent
time at the Macedon court.
This grand statue of Aristotle stands in the modern village of Stageira in a park which is dedicated to the great man. Along with his statue are examples of instruments which he experimented with as he studied the application of the rules of Physics. These include, among others, a prism, optical discs, and a pendulum. In the pictures below, next to his statue can be seen the compass, while in the lower picture we can see a sun dial in operation.
There is one issue which remains unresolved:
where exactly was Aristotle born? Was it here in Stageira, or in Ancient
Stageira which also lays claim to the honour? Intriguingly, there is another
possibility. When the road from Stageira to the nearby village of Stratoni was
being worked on fairly recently, a large archaeological site was discovered. Locals
believe that this, in fact, may hold the secret as to the actual birthplace.
What is uncontested, is the fact that at about the age of 17 he moved to Athens to be educated by Plato at his Academy in Athens. Initially this comprised informal gatherings of people who came to listen and learn. A more official Academy was founded in 387 BC and was open to the public – chiefly the upper class and would-be politicians. The topics covered were mainly mathematical and philosophical. Essentially what happened was that Plato posed problems which were to be studied and solved by others. This was known as Platonic Dialectic: the art of investigating or discussing the truth of opinion. It was a discourse of two or more people, holding different points of view or beliefs, trying to establish the truth through reasoned methods of argumentation. Through this, one examines assumptions and basic concepts and hopes to arrive at better assumptions and concepts. German philosophers like Hegel and Marx were to develop their own forms of dialectic.
His written works were often treatises - formal and systematic studies of a subject. As for subjects covered, he is credited with contributions as far-ranging as:
Maths, Physics, Ethics, Biology, Botany, Politics, Agriculture, Medicine, Dance and Theatre.
So he really was a bit of a Polymath!
What is considered to be one of his main achievements is that his was the earliest study of what we now call formal logic. We can safely say he was the father of Logic and Metaphysics.
Let me now explain my interest in this particular field. My first degree was an MA from an old Scottish university, Aberdeen, where a broad range of studies was considered necessary for a well-rounded education. As well as our main subjects we were required to select a science and a philosophy. Since I was planning a career in education, Psychology seemed the obvious science choice. But what to choose between Moral Philosophy and Logic& Metaphysics?! A friend, studying the former, advised she was writing an essay to the effect that if you ate an apple when you had no desire to do so, then you could derive the same enjoyment from eating a stone.
Without further consideration, I opted for Logic & Metaphysics and never ever regretted it!
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