Brett Rathbun

2-R

Aristotle Research Paper

Aristotle:

Aristotle was born in Stagirus, Stagira, or Stagerius in northern Greece around the year 884 BC. His father Nicomachus, the court physician to the Macedonian royal family, died when Aristotle was only 10 years old. As his mother also died when he was young, he was raised by a close family friend, Proxenus of Atarneus. At the age of 17, Aristotle was sent to Athens to become a student at Plato’s Academy. Aristotle attended the academy for 20 years until Plato died in 847, first as a student and later as a teacher. At the time of Plato’s death, however, Aristotle was not appointed head of the academy due to his opposition to some of Plato’s teachings, and left for Assos, near the island of Lesbos.

Aristotle became acquaintances with the ruler Hermias of Atarneus, and went on to marry Hermias’s niece, and adopted daughter, Pythias. Pythias was about 18 at the time of the marriage. Aristotle and Pythias had one child, a daughter, also named Pythias. Unfortunately, Pythias, the wife, died about 10 years after their marriage. Aristotle became the leader of a group of philosophers that Hermias had gathered up. Aristotle had quite an interest in the anatomy and make-up of living things, most likely because of his father’s occupation in the medical field. Aristotle began to study the biology and zoology of this particular area. It is said that Aristotle’s studies laid the foundation for biological sciences. For political reasons, Aristotle was forced to flee to the island of Lesbos, and remained there studying biology for a year.

After returning to Macedonia, Aristotle met another young woman. Although he did not want to marry again after the death of his first wife, he and Herpyllis had a son named Nicomachus, after Aristotle’s father. Alexander the Great then sent Aristotle to Athens to found a rival establishment to the Academy. This is how he came about founding the Lyceum in 335 BC. The difference between the Lyceum and the Academy was that the Lyceum taught a much broader range of subjects. But after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC, Aristotle realized that he could be put to death if he didn’t get out of Athens. He then fled to Chalcis, where he lived the remainder of his days out in a house that had once belonged to his mother. A year after his moving, he died after complaining of stomach problems.

Aristotle was not primarily a mathematician, but he did make many contributions to the study of mathematics. Many of his studies were devoted to the study of earth sciences. It is just amazing how detailed his descriptions of certain life processes were for that time period. Some of his conclusions could only have been derived from first hand dissection of organisms. He even set up a classification system of living organisms similar to today’s system. Although his groups differed slightly from todays, they were very similar to the vertebrate and invertebrate categories. He also divided these into genera, and even further, the genera into species. The similarities are astounding!

Aristotle’s thinking was unique when compared with the philosophers of medieval times, or even of today. He believed that the universe had no beginning and no end, that it was eternal. He also philosophized that all earthly processes were just a cycle, such as water being evaporated and then rained back down to the earth. The ideas that Aristotle created were far advanced for his time period. His scientific studies contributed greatly to the world of mathematics, and his philosophies only further enhanced his intellectual appearance. Aristotle will always be considered a genius and well known among many devoted scholars of mathematics, science, and philosophy.