Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher and polymath who is often referred to as “The First Scientist” or simply “The Philosopher.” A student of Plato and the tutor of Alexander the Great, his work provided the intellectual framework for Western thought for over two millennia.
Quote of the Day
“Just as at the Olympic games it is not the handsomest or strongest men who are crowned with victory but the successful competitors, so in life it is those who act rightly who carry off all the prizes and rewards.”
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Meaning of the Quote
This quote by Aristotle means that success in life, much like victory in the Olympic Games, does not belong to the strongest or the most impressive-looking individuals, but to those who act rightly and perform their duties with virtue. Aristotle emphasizes that true achievement comes from correct action, discipline, and moral character rather than from mere talent or physical power. In other words, having ability alone is not enough; it is how one uses that ability through ethical behavior and consistent effort that leads to real rewards and lasting success.
Who Was Aristotle?
Born in the city of Stagira in northern Greece during the Classical period, Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher whose writings spanned a wide range of subjects, including natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, and the arts.
He founded the Peripatetic school of philosophy at the Lyceum in Athens, where he developed the Aristotelian tradition that laid the groundwork for modern science. His ideas profoundly shaped medieval scholarship.
After the death of his mentor Plato, Aristotle left Athens and, at the request of Philip II of Macedon, tutored his son, Alexander the Great, beginning in 343 BC.
Aristotle contributed to nearly every field of human knowledge known at the time and founded many new disciplines. According to philosopher Bryan Magee, “It is doubtful whether any human being has ever known as much as he did.”
Aristotle has long been regarded as the first scientist. Scholar Taneli Kukkonen wrote that “in the best 20th-century scholarship Aristotle comes alive as a thinker wrestling with the full weight of the Greek philosophical tradition.”
Some of Aristotle’s notable students included Aristoxenus, Dicaearchus, Demetrius of Phalerum, Eudemos of Rhodes, Harpalus, Hephaestion, Mnason of Phocis, Nicomachus, and Theophrastus.