Aristotle and His Philosophy
Reason, Ethics, and the Search for Human Flourishing
by: Ulysses Ybiernas | January 14, 2018
Aristotle (384–322 BCE) was a towering figure in ancient Greek philosophy. A student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great, Aristotle developed a comprehensive system of thought that shaped Western intellectual history. His work spans logic, ethics, politics, metaphysics, biology, and more, always rooted in observation, reason, and practical reality.
Empiricism and the Natural World
Unlike Plato, who emphasized abstract Forms, Aristotle grounded his philosophy in the empirical world. He believed that knowledge comes from sensory experience and careful observation. This made him a precursor to modern science, as he studied nature directly and categorized living beings with remarkable accuracy.
“All men by nature desire to know.”
For Aristotle, philosophy begins with wonder, but it matures through reason and the pursuit of causes in the physical world.
The Four Causes
One of Aristotle’s key contributions to metaphysics is his theory of the Four Causes, which explains why things exist or happen:
- Material Cause: What something is made of
- Formal Cause: The form or essence of the thing
- Efficient Cause: The agent or process that brings it into being
- Final Cause: Its purpose or end (telos)
This holistic approach to causation influenced philosophy, theology, and science for centuries.
Ethics and the Golden Mean
In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle presents a vision of the good life as one of eudaimonia, often translated as “flourishing” or “fulfillment.” He argued that virtues are habits developed through practice, and that moral virtue lies in achieving balance, or the Golden Mean, between extremes.
“Virtue is the mean between two vices, one of excess and one of deficiency.”
For example, courage is the mean between cowardice and recklessness.
Politics and Community
Aristotle believed that humans are naturally political animals and that the city-state (polis) exists to help people achieve virtue. In Politics, he analyzes different forms of government, favoring a mixed constitution that balances the interests of rulers and citizens.
For Aristotle, ethics and politics are deeply connected, individual virtue must be cultivated in the context of community life.
Logic and Scientific Thought
Aristotle was the first philosopher to formalize logic as a discipline. His system of syllogisms, structured deductive reasoning, became foundational in medieval philosophy and early science. He also classified knowledge into practical, theoretical, and productive domains, reflecting a broad and practical view of learning.
Conclusion
Aristotle’s philosophy remains remarkably relevant. His commitment to reason, empirical observation, and moral development continues to shape modern science, politics, and ethics. Unlike Plato’s idealism, Aristotle offers a philosophy grounded in reality, a call to live wisely and virtuously in the world as it is.