The Son of Nicomachus

Aleksandra Bojović

THE SON OF NICOMACHUS ARISTOTLE

Publishing House PČELICA Kolubarska 4, Čačak, Serbia office@pcelica.rs www.pcelica.rs

A

long with Socrates and Plato, he is among the most famous names of ancient philosophy. He was the teacher of Alexander the Great, one of the greatest rulers and conquerors of the Ancient World. His name was Aristotle and, in order to discover more about him, we must use our imagination and travel back to Ancient Greece, to the 4th century B. C.

6

Aristotle

A Descendant of Royal Physicians Aristotle was born in 384 B. C. in Stagira . Throughout his 1

life he stayed connected with his place of birth in such a way that, even today, he is known under the nickname the Stagirite. His father Nicomachus was a physician in the court of Amyntas III of Macedon, the grandfather of Alexander the Great. It is believed that Aristotle’s ancestors held this position in the past and were members of the ancient Greek doctors’ guild called the Asclepiades. The protector of the guild was god Asclepius2.

Even though he was introduced to the secrets of the human body at a young age, Aristotle preferred philosophy, a discipline that, literally translated, means “love of wisdom”.

Stagira is a village in Greece, south of Stavros.

Asclepius, also known as Esculap, was the god of medicine and protector of doctors. He was depicted as an old man with a staff with a great snake wrapped around it.

1 2

7

In Plato’s Academy At the age of seventeen Aristotle moved to Athens, the centre of culture, politics and philosophy in Greece. At that time, those who wanted a good education would go to the Academy, a school where the popular and respected philosopher Plato taught.

8

There is not a lot of information about Plato’s Academy.

We know that it was located not far from the Acropolis of Athens and that it was constructed in honour of Athena, the goddess of wisdom. It is believed to have been founded around 387 B.C. and it was closed by the Byzantine emperor Justinian in 529 A.D.

Children of the rich Athenians were educated at the Academy and many of them, after having completed their education, continued to study philosophy, science or politics. However, it is Aristotle who became the best known student of this academy.

In addition to the study of theoretical disciplines: mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, and grammar, the Academy dedicated a lot of attention to sports and music.

9

Teacher and Student After he became Plato’s student, Aristotle continued the

philosophical tradition of the famous Greek students and teachers. When he was young, Plato was a student of the classical philosopher Socrates, and later he became Aristotle’s teacher. This is why the three of them are remembered as the most famous group of philosophers, who marked the history of classical philosophy.

Thoughts on Beauty Beauty is order and symmetry.

Aristotle

Physically, Plato and Aristotle were completely different: Aristotle was thin with sharp features, and Plato muscular and broad-shouldered. Plato’s real name was Aristocles but Plato suited him better because it means “broad”. However, their differences of opinion were much more important than their physical differences.

10

Since he was a wise and independent young man, Aristotle immediately got Plato’s attention and became his favourite student. A proof of this is in the words Plato used to say when Aristotle would miss a class: “The mind is missing, silent listeners”. However, other sources give us a completely different picture of this teacher-student relationship.

Thoughts on Plato Plato is dear to me, but dearer still is truth.

Aristotle

Many claim, and can support with written evidence, that rivalry and discord existed between Plato and Aristotle. This was primarily in relation to their opposing philosophical views. Nevertheless, Aristotle stayed at the Academy for twenty years, leaving it only after Plato’s death. This is proof of the great affection and respect he felt for his teacher.

11

Aleksandra Bojović

THE SON OF NICOMACHUS ARISTOTLE

Publishing House PČELICA Kolubarska 4, Čačak, Serbia office@pcelica.rs www.pcelica.rs