Aristotle and His Philosophy: Philosophy in Capsules of Knowledge (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798250230285)

Aristotle arrived in Athens at the age of 17 to study at Plato's Academy, where he would remain for two decades. He absorbed Platonic teaching, based on the Theory of Ideas and the pursuit of universal and absolute knowledge. However, over time Aristotle would develop his own line of thought, often in opposition to his master. While Plato defended a perfect intelligible world (the world of Ideas), Aristotle focused his attention on the sensible and concrete world-the natural world that we can know through the senses.

The Greece of Aristotle's time was a mosaic of city-states (polis), with Athens standing out as a cultural and intellectual center. However, during his lifetime, the balance of power shifted with the rise of Philip II of Macedonia and later Alexander the Great, who had been Aristotle's student since childhood. In this way, the Philosopher became the teacher of the most powerful man of his time, conqueror of almost the entire known world at that moment. This geopolitical context influenced his political thought, as Aristotle not only reflected on Athenian democracy but also on monarchical power and the ideal of a just government. He showed great concern for education, as he makes clear in Book VIII of the Politics, where he writes: "Certainly no one will dispute that the legislator ought to pay special attention to the education of the young. Indeed, if this is not done in cities, their political constitution is harmed, since education must be adapted to it."

He would go on to develop an extensive body of thought that would nourish the new modern philosophy emerging twenty centuries later. In the Nicomachean Ethics we find his idea of virtue as a balance between two extremes, and in his Politics an analysis of the different forms of government. He also delved into a new discipline-Metaphysics-which he effectively created, addressing fundamental questions about the reality around us. His studies in Physics and Naturalism sought to understand the true nature of forms, laying the foundations of modern science. In his pursuit of knowledge and in order to satisfy his intellectual curiosity, he developed the field of Logic through his syllogisms.

This collection of major themes of human knowledge encompasses cultural, philosophical, scientific, anthropological, and economic domains. It is presented in an engaging, concise, easy-to-assimilate format, quick to read, and set in a typeface designed for comfortable reading-well suited to the stressful times in which we live.