Aristotle Greek Philosopher History Research Paper

Aristotle Greek Philosopher History - Research Paper Example Aristotle was closely associated with the Macedonians and so he was stripped of his honour at Delphi. He wrote a letter to Antipater which said â€Å"As for the honour which was voted me at Delphi and of which I have now been stripped, I am neither greatly concerned nor greatly unconcerned†. Aristotle spent the last year of his life in the estates of his mother’s family on the island of Euboea. His academy Lyceum survived after his death and Theophrastus became the new head. (Barnes, pp.3-6). In the later years of his life, Aristotle used to be well-dressed and used to enjoy his days by indulging in the comforts of life. He is described as being bald headed. He had thin legs and small eyes. He was a witty person, spoke with a lisp and had a mocking nature. After his wife died, he lived till his own death in a nonlegal relationship with his mistress Herpyllis. He had a son with her whom he named Nicomachus, after his father. (Magill & Moose, p.130) Philosopher and Teache r In the early years of his life, Aristotle was associated only with physicians and princes. He had no connection with philosophers. The first four phases of his life ended at the age of eighteen when he went to Athens to learn philosophy from Plato. His career was divided into three periods. The first period consisted of the twenty years that he spent in Athens where he stayed till Plato’s death. The second period consisted of the thirteen years in which he traveled as a philosopher and teacher. The third and final period consisted of the years spent in Lyceum after his return to Athens. Plato’s method of teaching was in dialogue form and Aristotle was greatly influenced by this. He began his writings in dialogues and made himself the main speaker in those dialogues. It is... This essay stresses that there are certain theories in Aristotle’s political philosophy that attract criticisms. According to Aristotle, the political community is a â€Å"natural entity like an animal or a man†. According to critics, the political community is completely a â€Å"product of art†. Aristotle compares a politician with a craftsman. By doing this he contradicts his own statement that â€Å"he who first framed the political community was a cause of the greatest goods†. He says that just as a shipbuilder builds a ship out of various things like lumber, canvas, nails etc., a politician similarly forms a constitution out of the citizens of a city-state. If this statement is true, then a political community cannot be a natural entity. This indicates that there is a flaw in the very root of his political philosophy. Aristotle believed that a man has a natural tendency to become civilized and form a civilized society. This has been criticised by the 17th century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes who claims that â€Å"civil society runs, not with, but against the grain of man’s nature†. He said that men are naturally anti-social beings and have no natural urge to form a civil society. The self-contradictory statements of Aristotle make his political philosophy vulnerable to criticisms.  This essay stresses that there are certain theories in Aristotle’s political philosophy that attract criticisms. According to Aristotle, the political community is a â€Å"natural entity like an animal or a man†.