Aristotle was born around 384 BCE in Macedonia to a royal doctor and a mother from an aristocratic family, both of whom unfortunately died when he was a young boy. From an early age, he showed interest in a variety of different ideas, concepts, and aspects of life. He was involved in everything from biology to physics, political science, and philosophy, as well as a vast array of other subjects.

Believed by many to be one of the most influential philosophers in history, he began his adult life learning at Plato’s academy and continued to learn there from his teenage years until his late 30s. Shortly after Plato’s death, Aristotle left Athens and began tutoring Alexander the Great, who went on to conquer much of the known world.

Aristotle completed many works on a range of topics from metaphysics to politics to philosophy. Many of his works have been lost in time, but a vast array of his works remain. One of his most famous works is "Nicochaen Ethics," a foundational work in moral philosophy. One of the intriguing concepts in this work is that of Eudaimonia. Eudaimonia is a Greek term described as "well-being" or "flourishing." It is the idea of living a fulfilling and meaningful life, rather than simply pursuing happiness or pleasure as a goal. The term is used to emphasize virtues, personal growth, and the pursuit of one's full potential in all aspects of life.

Aristotle argued that virtue and moderation in all things are essential for achieving true happiness and living a virtuous life. He believed in a conscious pursuit of improvement through hard work in a purpose-driven direction. Simply aspiring to be happy or solely focusing on the search for happiness was not the goal. It was within the virtuous pursuit and understanding of what was morally good that happiness was an outcome of achieving these objectives.

One of the most profound concepts of Aristotle was his questioning of life and its surroundings. Constantly, he questioned life and the makeup of what it means to be human and our objectives in life. To summarize his philosophical inquiries on the nature of existence, he expressed four questions

What is the essence or nature of things?

How are things caused or brought about?

What is good or valuable?

What is the purpose or goal of life?

These four questions form the basis of questioning surrounding the entire universe while also providing a conceptualized view of human values and objectives in life.

I think Aristotle seems like an amazing philosopher, because of his profound thinking and questioning of what it truly means to be human, to be alive, to exist in the universe, to be righteous, to be conscious, and to contribute in a positive manner. He was obviously an incredibly thoughtful person with an elaborate train of thought and evolving curiosity.

“True happiness flows from the possession of wisdom and virtue and not from the possession of external goods.” – Aristotle

Thanks,

Dean