School of Athens
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino
Aristotle
Ἐν τῇ ἐποχῇ μου, ἡ φιλοσοφία μου περιέβαλε τὴν ἠθική, τὴν πολιτική, τὴν μεταφυσική, καὶ τὴν λογική, ἀναζητοῦσα νὰ κατανοήσει τὴν ὑπόσταση καὶ τὴν φύση τῶν πραγμάτων. Ἀπὸ τὸν διδάσκαλό μου Πλάτωνα ἔλαβα τὴν ἀγάπη γιὰ τὴν ἀναζήτηση τῆς ἀληθείας, ἀλλὰ ἐπεδίωξα μιὰ πιὸ ἐμπειρική προσέγγιση, ἐστιάζοντας στὴν παρατήρηση καὶ τὴν συστηματικὴ καταγραφὴ τοῦ κόσμου. Ἡ διδασκαλία μου ἐπηρέασε βαθιὰ τὴν Δυτικὴ σκέψη, ἀποτελώντας τὴν βάση γιὰ πολλές μετέπειτα θεωρίες στὶς ἐπιστήμες καὶ τὶς ἀνθρωπιστικὲς σπουδές.
In my time, my philosophy encompassed ethics, politics, metaphysics, and logic, seeking to understand the essence and nature of things. From my teacher Plato, I inherited a love for the pursuit of truth, but I pursued a more empirical approach, focusing on observation and systematic documentation of the world. My teachings deeply influenced Western thought, forming the foundation for many subsequent theories in the sciences and humanities.
About Me
Ἐγώ, Ἀριστοτέλης ὀνομάζομαι, μαθητής τοῦ Πλάτωνος καὶ διδάσκαλος τοῦ Μεγάλου Ἀλεξάνδρου. Ἐν Σταγείροις, τῆς Χαλκιδικῆς ἐν τῇ Μακεδονίᾳ, ἐγεννήθην καὶ ἐν τῇ Ἀκαδημίᾳ τοῦ Πλάτωνος ἐφοίτησα ἔτη ἐίκοσι. Μετὰ τὸν θάνατον τοῦ διδασκάλου μου, πολλὰς πολιτεῖας ἐπεσκέφθην καὶ ἐν τέλει ἐκλήθην ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως Φιλίππου τοῦ Μακεδόνος, ὥστε νὰ διδάξω τὸν νεαρὸν Ἀλέξανδρον.
My name is Aristotle, a disciple of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. Born in Stagira, Chalcidice, in Macedonia, I studied for twenty years at Plato's Academy. Following my teacher's death, I visited many states and was eventually summoned by King Philip II of Macedonia to educate the young Alexander.
Ἡ φιλοσοφία μου περιλαμβάνει πλῆθος θεμάτων, ἀπὸ τὴν ἠθικὴ καὶ τὴν πολιτικὴ ἕως τὴν μεταφυσικὴ καὶ τὴν λογική. Κατὰ τὴν διάρκεια τῆς ζωῆς μου, ἔγραψα περίπου 200 ἔργα, ἐκ τῶν ὁποίων μόνον ἕνα μέρος ἔχει διασωθῆ. Τὰ ἔργα μου ἐπηρέασαν ἐντονῶς τὴν δυτικὴ σκέψη καὶ συνεχίζουν νὰ ἐπηρεάζουν τὴν φιλοσοφικὴ σκέψη μέχρι σήμερα.
My philosophy covers a multitude of subjects, from ethics and politics to metaphysics and logic. Throughout my life, I wrote about 200 works, of which only a portion has survived. My works have had a profound impact on Western thought and continue to influence philosophical discourse to this day.
Ἐπίσης, ἀνέπτυξα τὸ σύστημα τῶν τεσσάρων αἰτίων, ἐξηγώντας τὸν τρόπον καθ’ ὃν τὰ πράγματα ἐξηγοῦνται διὰ τῆς αἰτίας τοῦ ὄντος, τῆς οὐσίας, τῆς κινήσεως καὶ τοῦ σκοποῦ. Ἡ λογική μου, ἡ ὁποία ἐπικεντρώνεται στὸν συλλογισμό, ἔθεσε τὰ θεμέλια γιὰ τὴν Δυτικὴ ἐπιστημονικὴ μέθοδο.
Additionally, I developed the system of the four causes, explaining how things are elucidated through the cause of being, essence, motion, and purpose. My logic, which focuses on syllogism, laid the groundwork for the Western scientific method.
Ἡ πολιτικὴ θεωρία μου ἐπισημαίνει τὴν σημασία τῆς πολιτείας καὶ τοῦ κοινοῦ καλοῦ, ὑποστηρίζοντας ὅτι ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐστιν ζῷον πολιτικόν, δηλαδὴ ζῷο ποὺ ζεῖ καὶ συντελεῖ στὴν πολιτεία. Ἡ ἠθικὴ μου, που ἀναπτύχθηκε ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις ὡς ἡ Ἠθικὰ Νικομάχεια, ἐξετάζει τὴν ἀρετὴ καὶ τὸν ἀγαθὸν βίον, ἐπιδιώκοντας τὴν μεσότητα μεταξὺ τῶν ἄκρων.
My political theory underscores the significance of the state and the common good, asserting that man is a political animal, meaning a being that lives and contributes within a state. My ethics, developed in works such as the Nicomachean Ethics, examines virtue and the good life, aiming for a mean between extremes.
Ὡς διδάσκαλος, ἐπιδίωξα νὰ προάγω τὴν κριτικὴ σκέψη καὶ τὴν ἀνεξάρτητη ἀνάλυση ἐν τοῖς μαθηταῖς μου, ὑπογραμμίζοντας τὴν σημασία τῆς παρατήρησης καὶ τῆς ἐμπειρικῆς ἐρεύνης. Ἐλπίζω ἡ φιλοσοφία μου νὰ σᾶς προσφέρει τὰ ἐργαλεῖα πρὸς νὰ κατανοήσετε τὸν κόσμον καὶ νὰ συμβάλετε ἐν τῇ κοινωνίᾳ μὲ ἔργα καὶ ἀρετή.
As a teacher, I sought to promote critical thinking and independent analysis among my students, emphasizing the importance of observation and empirical inquiry. I hope my philosophy offers you the tools to understand the world and contribute to society with actions and virtue.
My Life's Work
Ἐν ἀρχῇ, ἡ φιλοσοφία μου ἦταν ἐπηρεασμένη ἐκ τῆς διδασκαλίας τοῦ Πλάτωνος, ὅπου ἡ τελειότητα τῶν ἰδεῶν καὶ ἡ ἀναζήτηση τῆς ἀληθείας ἐν τοῖς ἀόρατοις κόσμοις ἦταν κεντρικά. Ἀλλὰ μετὰ, ἡ στροφή μου πρὸς τὴν ἐμπειρικὴ ἐπιστήμη καὶ ἡ ἀνάπτυξη τῆς λογικῆς καὶ τῆς μεθόδου τῶν ἐπιστημονικῶν ἐρευνῶν ἔδειξαν τὴν ἀνεξαρτησία μου. Ἐστίασα ἐπίσης στὴν πολιτικὴ φιλοσοφία, τὴν ἠθικὴ καὶ τὴν ποιητική, ἐξετάζοντας τὴν ἀνθρώπινη φύση, τὴν κοινωνία καὶ τὸν πολιτισμό.
In the beginning, my philosophy was influenced by the teachings of Plato, where the perfection of ideas and the pursuit of truth in invisible realms were central. However, my turn towards empirical science and the development of logic and scientific research methods showed my independence. I also focused on political philosophy, ethics, and poetics, examining human nature, society, and culture.
Ἡ ἀνάπτυξις τοῦ συστήματος τῶν τεσσάρων αἰτίων ἦταν ἕνα ἐπίτευγμα που ἐπέδειξε τὴν προσπάθειά μου νὰ ἑνώσω τὴν φιλοσοφικὴ σκέψη μὲ τὴν πρακτικήν ἀνάλυση τοῦ κόσμου. Ἀυτὸ ἐκφράζει τὴν διαχρονική μου πεποίθηση ὅτι ὁ κόσμος μπορεῖ νὰ κατανοηθεῖ μέσω τῆς λογικῆς καὶ τῆς ἐμπειρικῆς ἐπιστήμης.
The development of the system of the four causes was an achievement that demonstrated my effort to unite philosophical thought with the practical analysis of the world. This expresses my enduring belief that the world can be understood through logic and empirical science.
Μέσω τῆς διδασκαλίας μου καὶ τῶν ἔργων μου, ἐπιχείρησα νὰ δώσω στὸν ἄνθρωπο τὰ ἐργαλεῖα γιὰ νὰ ζήσει ἕναν ἀρετούμενον καὶ ἐνάρετον βίο, ἐνθαρρύνοντας τὴν προσωπικήν ἀνάπτυξη καὶ τὴν κοινωνικὴν συμβολή. Ἡ ἠθική μου ἐστίασε στὴν μεσότητα καὶ τὴν ἀναζήτηση τῆς εὐδαιμονίας μέσω τῆς ἀρετῆς.
Through my teaching and works, I endeavored to give humanity the tools to live a virtuous and noble life, encouraging personal development and societal contribution. My ethics focused on moderation and the pursuit of happiness through virtue.
Ἐν κατακλείδι, ἡ πρόοδος τῆς ζωῆς μου καὶ τῆς ἔργου μου ἐκφράζει μία διαρκῆ ἀναζήτηση τῆς ἀληθείας, τὴν ἀνάπτυξη τῆς λογικῆς καὶ τῆς ἐπιστημονικῆς μεθόδου, τὴν ἐξέταση τῆς ἠθικῆς καὶ τῆς πολιτικῆς φιλοσοφίας, καὶ τὴν προώθηση τῆς πρακτικῆς σοφίας γιὰ τὴν βελτίωση τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ τῆς κοινωνίας.
In conclusion, the progression of my life and work expresses a continual search for truth, the development of logic and the scientific method, the examination of ethics and political philosophy, and the promotion of practical wisdom for the betterment of humanity and society.