Poli 212 History of Western Political Philosophy Professor Sammy Basu

Introduction to Aristotle and the Politics

Socrates: 470-399 BCE

Aristotle 384-322 B.C.

367-347 BCE – attends Plato’s Academy

Rafael, School of Athens

343-340 BCE – Tutor to young Alex

Alexander the Great (356-323 BC)

Pompei

Alexander, bust from Delos

(Louvre, Paris)

OlympiasAlexPhilip

Macedonian Empire

Rembrandt – Aristotle contemplating the bust of Homer

Aristotle’s WORKs His extant works covered all known sciences of the time with analytical, empirical attention. 7 categories: (1) logical treatises, or the Organon, viz. Categories, De Interpretatione, Prior Analytics, Posterior Analytics, Topics and Sophistici Elenchi; (2) the writings on physical science, viz. Physics, De Coelo, De Generatione et Corruptione, and Metereologica; (3) the biological works, viz. Historia Animalium, De Partibus Animalium, De Motu Animalium, De Incessu Animalium, and De Generatione Animalium; (4) psychological treatises, viz. De Anima and a collection of shorter works known as the Parva Naturalia; (5) the Metaphysics; beyond physics, ie came after but also 'beyond' (6) the treatises on ethics and politics, viz. Nicomachean Ethics, Eudemian Ethics, Politics, Constitution of Athens; and (7) works on literary arts, viz. Rhetoric and Poetics.