Aristotle - A Very Short Introduction

Aristotle died in the autumn of 322 bc. He was sixty-two and at the
height of his powers: a scholar whose scientific explorations were as
wide-ranging as his philosophical speculations were profound; a
teacher who enchanted and inspired the brightest youth of Greece; a
public figure who lived a turbulent life in a turbulent world. He
bestrode antiquity like an intellectual colossus. No man before him had
contributed so much to learning. No man after him might aspire to
rival his achievements.
Of Aristotle’s character and personality little is known. He came from a
rich family. He was allegedly a dandy, wearing rings on his fingers and
cutting his hair fashionably short. He suffered from poor digestion, and
is said to have been spindle-shanked. He was a good speaker, lucid in
his lectures, persuasive in conversation; and he had a mordant wit. His
enemies, who were numerous, accused him of arrogance. His will,
which has survived, is a generous document. His philosophical writings
are impersonal; but they suggest that he prized both friendship and
self-sufficiency, and that, while conscious of his place in an honourable
tradition, he was properly proud of his own attainments. As a man, he
was, perhaps, admirable rather than amiable.

List of Illustrations ix
List of Maps xii
1 The Man and His Work 1
2 A Public Figure 7
3 Zoological Researches 14
4 Collecting Facts 24
5 The Philosophical Background 30
6 The Structure of the Sciences 39
7 Logic 46
8 Knowledge 53
9 Ideal and Achievement 59
10 Reality 64
11 Change 75
12 Causes 83
13 Empiricism 92
14 Aristotle’s World-Picture 97
15 Psychology 105
16 Evidence and Theory 110
17 Teleology 116
18 Practical Philosophy 123
19 The Arts 131
20 Afterlife 136
References 143
Chronological Table 151
Further Reading 153
Index 157