Ancient Philosophy

The Philosophy of Aristotle: “Plato is my friend, but truth is dearer”

The mature classicism of Plato gave way to the late classical period, exemplified by Aristotle, the founder of the Peripatetic school. A student of Plato, Aristotle served as the tutor to Alexander the Great during a time of weakening Greek democracy.

For Aristotle, philosophy is categorized based on its aims into three branches: theoretical (to understand the laws of the real world), practical (to determine appropriate goals for action), and poetic (to discover the best means of achieving the desired outcome and to create something new and superior). In ancient Greek thought, poiesis referred not just to poetry but to the act of creating anything novel that does not merely replicate what is already known.

The most crucial aspect of his theoretical philosophy, often referred to as first philosophy, is the study of the principles and causes of existence. To explain all that exists, he introduced four types of causes:

1. Material (the potentiality of being);
2. Formal (the cause of being);
3. Efficient (the motivating cause);
4. Final (the ultimate purpose).

Aristotle termed the unity of these causes "entelechy," denoting actualization. Matter is eternal yet passive, while the primary source of motion is "the form of all forms" — God.

The theoretical works of Aristotle include significant texts such as "Physics" and the "Organon," which encompasses "Categories," "Analytics," "Topics," and others. In logic, which he established as a science of thought, Aristotle saw a tool or method for the investigation of being.

He categorized society (the ancient polis) into three classes: I — the wise, II — the noble, III — the ignorant.

According to Aristotle, forms of government can be deemed correct or incorrect, depending on the number of individuals vested with supreme authority:

Correct forms:

• Monarchy
• Aristocracy

Incorrect forms:

• Despotism
• Oligarchy
• Democracy

For him, law serves as the measure of justice.