When and where was Aristotle born?
Aristotle was born in 384 BC in the small city of Stagira, located in northern Greece. He was the son of Nicomachus, a personal physician to King Amyntas of Macedon, and Phaestis, a woman with origins from Chalcis.
Common questions about Aristotle
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who tutored Alexander the Great and when did this relationship begin?
Aristotle was summoned to Pella by Philip II of Macedon in 343 or 342 BC to become the tutor to his thirteen-year-old son, Alexander. He taught Alexander at the private school of Mieza, located in the gardens of the Nymphs, the royal estate near Pella.
What major works did Aristotle write during his time at the Lyceum?
Aristotle wrote many treatises during his time at the Lyceum between 335 and 322 BC, including Physics, Metaphysics, Nicomachean Ethics, Politics, On the Soul, and Poetics. These works were generally thought to be lecture aids for his students and were not intended for widespread publication.
How did Aristotle die and where did he spend his final days?
Aristotle died in Chalcis of natural causes in 322 BC after fleeing Athens due to anti-Macedonian sentiment. He had named his student Antipater as his chief executor and left a will in which he asked to be buried next to his wife.
What are the four causes Aristotle identified for why objects exist or change?
Aristotle distinguished between four different causes: the material cause, the formal cause, the efficient cause, and the final cause. The material cause describes the material out of which something is composed, while the final cause is its purpose or the reason why it exists.
Why is Aristotle considered the father of biology and what specific contributions did he make?
Aristotle is considered the father of biology because he pioneered the study of zoology and contributed to the scientific method. Charles Darwin regarded Aristotle as the most important contributor to the subject of biology, and the concept of homology began with Aristotle.