Biography
Ancient Grecian Aristotle (384-322 BC) is arguably the most famous philosopher of all time, and is often referred to only as "The Philosopher". He studied under Plato at The Academy and later taught Alexander the Great. He produced writings on a wide variety of subjects, including ethics, virtue, law, and human nature. Aristotle was more interested in data and scientific inquiry than his Greek predecessors, and considered the opinions of experts, ordinary citizens, and himself. He is still discussed in classrooms for a wide variety of disciplines.
Influential Works
- Complete Works of AristotleAccess all of Aristotle's surviving works through Past Masters.
Nicomachean Ethics by Publication Date: 2000Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, based on lectures that he gave in Athens in the fourth century BCE, is one of the most significant works in moral philosophy, and has profoundly influenced the whole course of subsequent philosophical endeavour. It is soundly located within a philosophical tradition, but its argument differs markedly from those of Plato and Socrates in its emphasis on the exercise - as opposed to the mere possession - of virtue as the key to human happiness, offering seminal discussions of ethical issues that are practical in their intent. Topics covered include the role of luck in human wellbeing, moral education, responsibility, courage, justice, moral weakness, friendship and pleasure. This accessible new translation by Roger Crisp follows the Greek text closely and includes historical philosophical introductions and notes on further reading.
The Eudemian Ethics by Publication Date: 2011A major treatise on moral philosophy by Aristotle, this is the first time the Eudemian Ethics has been published in its entirety in any modern language. Equally important, the volume has been translated by Sir Anthony Kenny, one of Britain's most distinguished academics and philosophers, and a leading authority on Aristotle. In The Eudemian Ethics, Aristotle explores the factors that make life worth living. He considers the role of happiness, and what happiness consists of, and he analyzes various aspects that contribute to it: human agency, the relation between action and virtue, and the concept of virtue itself. Aristotle classifies and examines the various moral and intellectual virtues, and he considers the roles of friendship and pleasure in a life well lived. This version includes explanatory notes and an introduction by Kenny, in which he highlights the similarities and differences between this book and the better-known Nicomachean Ethics.
