Aristotle biography died

It is difficult to indicate the field of knowledge in which Aristotle would not leave a trace that has survived to the present. Whatever our opinions about his merits in the field of individual sciences, we must recognize his strong, more or less despotic power, continuing the tens of centuries, recognized in Baghdad and in Cordoba, in Egypt and Britain and left numerous traces of its influence in the language and the form of thoughts of every civilized nation.

Aristotle's life is not that the biography of even such scientists as Humboldt and Darwin. One can think about the latter that something about them will be known in two thousand years, and try to find in them the particle that “will avoid overflows”. The name of Aristotle puts us face to face with the most magnificent sight that can introduce himself to the eyes of a thinking person: sixty -three years of earthly life with all its ordinary joys, sorrows and diseases - and two thousand years of the afterlife!

.. The writing biography of Aristotle will have to find a connection between that and other life, and before the start of such work you feel good fear, as in front of the altar. A little reliably known to us from the life of Aristotle, however, this gives a completely clear concept of his character, habits, moral and political beliefs, about relations to family, to friends and generally to people.

And all these data of his life draw Aristotle to us the way he is in his works. His father, Nicomom, was a court doctor under Aminis, King of Macedon. Nicomom came from a family in which medical art passed from genus to genus. He enjoyed great fame as a doctor.

Galen mentions one medical tool, the opening of which is attributed to the father of Aristotle. The activity of his father was of great importance to the life and activity of Aristotle. The desire to observe nature was in his blood. Father was his first mentor and gave him his knowledge in natural science and medicine. For fifteen years, Aristotle lost his parents, and the guardian of him, Proxen, took care of him.

Proksen was a native of Atarnei in Misia, but lived in Stagira. Aristotle inherited his significant means from his father, this gave him the opportunity to continue education led by Proxen. The books were extremely expensive then, but Proksen bought him even rarest; Thus, Aristotle in his youth was used to reading a lot, and this was exceptional at that time. From the future life of Aristotle it can be seen how deeply he was attached to proxen: in gratitude for his care, he took care of his widow after the death of his guardian, adopted his son Nikanor, loved the boy as his own, and later married his daughter his Pytia.

From the little that we know about the youth of Aristotle, he seems to us a young man of the highest degree ardent, who entered life "with a non -ribly hope." The Macedonian court, where he spent his early childhood, had a great influence on him; Aristotle is used to seeing people, gaining the ability to do with both lower and higher. He was very friendly in his youth with Philip of the Macedonian; Probably, they were connected by common mental interests and the then widespread hatred of Persia.

After the death of his parents, Aristotle lived with his guardian at the place of birth, in Stagir. Stagira was located on the western bank of the Bay of Strimon, in the very place where the coastline turns south. Immediately to the south of this city, he appeared in the direction of the east of Cape, who completely defended the city and its small harbor of Kapr formed by the island of the same name from strong impulsive winds blowing from the Aegean Sea.

Blackley says: in the convolutions, who went through ledges through the Pomeranzium groves Sorrento, the traveler could easily imagine a narrow and steep road, according to which, according to the ancient historian and geographer, the travelers descended from the mountain spurs that came out of Macedonia, to the Aretuza valley, where the Evripide grave was located and the city of Stagira was located.

But it may very well be that the name of this poetic corner would have disappeared from the memory of people if there were no great stagirite! In Stagira, it was easy and convenient to engage in natural sciences, that is, to observe the phenomena of nature; The quiet life of this city, a mild climate, luxurious nature and the influence of Proxen, who replaced his father in all respects, had Aristotle, who replaced him.

Under the leadership of Proxen, he began to collect rare plants and compare animals among themselves. Many historians argue that Aristotle inherited not only material means from his father, but also works that contained carefully recorded observations over organic and inorganic nature. So, before plunging into speculative sciences, Aristotle acquired a great skill to observe and record facts, make different guesses regarding the laws of nature and check them through experience.The period of the youth of Aristotle dates back to the time when the strong half -brewer of the Macedonian monarchy reached full of prosperity, and the exhausted democracy of the Attics was approaching its decline.

Khabria’s victories restored to some extent the predominance of the Athenians at sea, but the brilliant career of Epaminonda, exalting the Thebes for a while, only introduced even more separation to Greece and even more diminished its ability to resist the growing power of Macedonia. In his education and language, Aristotle was a Greek and had a sympathy for people's institutions in his youth, but at the same time he was a subject of the Macedonian sovereign.

This circumstance, as we will see later, also had a great influence on the future life of Aristotle and his philosophical and scientific activity. No matter how Aristotle loved his charming, although dilapidated Stagir, he, however, irrevocably attracted to Athens. Giveled the rough power, decomposing internally, the Athens were still the center of mental life and retained their moral power and their greatness for a long time.

Philip, breaking the Athenians at Heroney, carefully and respectfully spoke with his sworn enemy, Demosthenes. Later, Alexander of Macedon carefully and deeply hid how valuable was the opinion of the Athenians to him, but this was breaking out in those minutes, he lost power over himself. During his campaign to Asia, crossing the fast river, Alexander was exhausted and almost drowned, and then he had to climb a completely steep, steep coast.

Describing this, Alexander exclaims: “About the Athenians, if they knew what difficulties I have to experience in order to surprise you with my victories! The Greeks with their liveliness and plasticity conveyed the details of the life and activities of great people. And before Aristotle saw Plato in reality, the philosopher had repeatedly dreamed of him in Stagira, but the proud Stagirit did not want to appear in Athens with little -educated, unprepared; He put off his departure and finally decided to go when Proksen handed him all his wisdom.

In this act, that restrained passion was found early, which was a distinctive feature of the character of Aristotle. So, in the year before R. and arrived there just on time. Aristotle did not find Plato there; At that time, he left for three years for the second time to Sicily. You can imagine the grief of Aristotle. This unpleasant event in Aristotle's life had, however, very important and good consequences.

Although at that time the elephant was not in the Athens, but still Aristotle found there a lot of people who are well acquainted with Greek philosophy in general and with the teachings of Plato in particular. Without wasting time, he set to study the philosophy at the place of its origin. By the arrival of Plato, he was already well acquainted with the main provisions of his philosophy.

Perhaps this explains that Aristotle did not fall completely under the influence of Plato’s teachings, but could take him critically. The results would have turned out to be others if he first met Plato's teachings from himself and obey the charm of his personality. While curious youth from all sides flocked to Athens, burning with a desire to study with Plato, the philosopher wandered along the winding shores or vast plains, indulging in his thoughts and dreams ...

Finally he returned to his homeland and began to teach again at the academy free of charge. The Academy, that is, the public garden in the vicinity of Athens, was the favorite location of Plato; The school founded by him was called from it. In the garden of the Academy, decorated with statues and temples, the majestic planeis grew; Here, a small river flowed with a slight noise, reminiscent of a murmur, hidden by the greenery of a brook, lulling a quiet song of dormant forests.

It was a delightful corner, as if intended for thought. The poets sang him and then, he was forever preserved in the memory of philosophers. But in this grove, Oliv, where Attica birds all summer took their loud trill, was waiting for the audience more than one pleasant time of the time of time, but also hard work, associated with a long abstract thinking. Plato himself was always immersed in deep melancholy.

His large, wide forehead, from which he received his nickname, was constantly frowning. His powerful shoulders were lowered, as if under the weight of the thoughts; This happens sometimes among thinkers. He rarely smiled and never laughed. And with regard to morality, poetic Plato was intolerant and harsh. Among his new students, Aristotle stood up decisively to everyone, not excluding his appearance.

And the keen gaze of the great teacher soon stopped at the great student. The appearance for the Greek was of great importance, because the Greeks were great artists. The Greek expressed his difference in estate and origin not in the wealth of external decoration, as is the case in the East, but more thoroughness of wearing clothing and, above all, well -known behavior and the ability to keep himself with dignity.

A highly educated Athenian differed from Barbara with the art with which he wore hematia, that is, a cloak transferred over his shoulders.And in this wear of the cloak, not only the differences in the estate were expressed, but also other, purely individual, features. Let us compare the two images in this regard - Demosthenes and Aristotle. Both of them are represented in a sitting position, in a thoughtful pose, wrapped in a cloak.

And yet, what's the difference! Demosthenes sits with his head low, his forehead is wrinkled, as under the influence of oppressive sadness. His cloak is not at all on him-wider and great, he seemed to be not worn by himself, but thrown by someone else on his shoulders; He apparently went down to the floor, and Demosthenes hastily captured him with his hand, clenched into a fist; That is why the most erratic folds were formed on it.

A completely different species is an Aristotle's cloak; He, as can be seen from the folds, from good, subtle matter, and his folds are so even, free. The cloak fits the body, as if something inherent in it belongs to it. Aristotle is visible and the free manner of keeping himself, his head is not inclined, but somewhat leaned forward. Duma, obviously, does not gravitate him, but really carried him forward - transferred to the distant future of mankind.

It is necessary to be amazed at the art of Greeks to express their spiritual characteristics by external features, as well as their artists who noticed and conveyed all these subtleties. The extreme liveliness of Aristotle excited in Plato a constant desire to restrain him. From his youth, Aristotle was not accustomed to hardships and constraints, had his own habits and mores, sometimes not part of the Code of the Greek philosopher.

Aristotle did not tolerate, so that he was prescribed, as was, to drink and dress. He loved women, although he appreciated them low, and, contrary to custom, did not find necessary to hide the first. Aristotle armed all this against himself, the Athenians, who did not want to recognize him as a true philosopher. The relationship of Plato and Aristotle are of such importance for understanding the personality of the latter that we will talk about them in the next chapter separately.

The free lifestyle of Aristotle served as a basis for various slander scattered on him. They said that in Katehi he lowered his fortune and chose the cragist's craft to decline funds. But at that time, each physician made and sold medicines to his patients; Hence the ridiculous fable arose. Aristotle spent seventeen years in the community with Plato. There is reason to think that Plato loved his ingenious and rebellious student and not only handed him all his knowledge, but poured his whole soul into him.

Between the teacher and the student, the closest connection was formed with all its necessary consequences: temporary disagreements, hot reconciliations and so on. Aristotle was often accused of ingratitude to Plato; But the best defense against this accusation is that Aristotle himself says about his relationship to Plato. In Elegy, he recalls his teacher to the death of one of his beloved students and says: “He would not have dared to harm the worst person.” Then, in “Nikomakh’s ethics”, as always in a few, but strong words, expresses, how difficult it is for him, for the sake of truth, to speak against Plato.

Indeed, in his polemic with the creator of ideas, he always speaks in a restrained and deeply respectful tone. Before the death of Plato, Aristotle did not open his school, although his philosophical views have long been developed in all details.