Aristotle: Understanding the World's Greatest Philosopher

Description

Why has Aristotle had such an astounding influence on the world? What are his key ideas? What can he still teach us today? There is in Athens a rather plain ruin; a simple courtyard lined with fragments of wall. Yet, this little patch of land has a claim to be the most significant place in human history. It is the Lyceum, site of Aristotle's school- here the philosopher wandered, discussing his life's work with students, proposing answers to the mysteries of the human condition. Today, it can be difficult to fully comprehend the staggering influence of these lessons. Aristotle's observations about the world around him and his reflections on the nature of knowledge laid the foundations for all empirical science. His study of rational thought formed the basis of formal logic, the cornerstone of philosophical investigation. His examination of Greek city-states gave us political science, while his analysis of drama remains a mainstay of literature courses around the world. In lucid prose, acclaimed philosopher John Sellars takes us on a journey through Aristotle's thought, vividly bringing to life the key ideas, and demonstrating that the famous philosopher's capacity for curiosity continues to offer us all a vision of more fulfilled lives. Aristotle has lessons still to teach.

John Sellars is a lecturer in philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, a visiting Research Fellow at King's College London and a Member of Wolfson College, Oxford. He is the author of Lessons in Stoicism and The Fourfold Remedy. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages.

As Sellars says in this delightful little book, we should all aspire to know at least something about Aristotle's ideas and how they have shaped the way we think. I know he lived over two thousand years ago, but given just how much the greatest philosopher in history has influenced almost every aspect of human thought to this day, I fully agree. And this book does that job admirably. -- Jim Al-Khalili Aristotle: Understanding the World's Greatest Philosopher is the latest book by John Sellars, who excels at writing short books for a general audience on ancient philosophy. For those of us not yet brave enough to embark on the Nicomachean Ethics, this 144-page book is a great way into one of the greatest philosophers of all time -- Nigel Warburton * Five Books Best of 2023 * Everyone should desire to know about Aristotle because his philosophy is a crucial foundation for ethics, science, logic, politics and aesthetics in the western tradition. This short book is a brilliantly clear introduction to the whole range of his thought. -- Robert Eaglestone, author of Truth and Wonder: a Literary Introduction to Plato and Aristotle