8 Philosophies by Aristotle You Might’ve Never Heard About

8 Philosophies by Aristotle You Might’ve Never Heard About

1. The Concept of Eudaimonia Beyond Happiness: While often translated as "happiness," Aristotle's eudaimonia is more accurately understood as "flourishing" or "living well."

2. The Doctrine of the Mean in All Things:  Aristotle's famous "Golden Mean" isn't just about ethics. He applied the concept of moderation to various aspects of life.

3. The Four Causes Applied Beyond Physics: Aristotle's theory of the Four Causes (Material, Formal, Efficient, and Final) is not limited to explaining the natural world.

4. Phronesis (Practical Wisdom) as a Distinct Virtue: Beyond theoretical knowledge (Sophia), Aristotle emphasized phronesis, or practical wisdom.

5. The Importance of Friendship (Philia): Aristotle considered friendship (philia) essential for a good life, not just as a utility or pleasure, but as a virtue in itself.

6. The Unmoved Mover and Theology: Aristotle's concept of the "Unmoved Mover" is his theological idea. It's the ultimate cause of motion in the universe, a perfect, eternal.

7. His Biological Works and Empirical Observation: While known for logic and metaphysics, Aristotle was also a keen biologist.

8. The Theory of Categories and Language: Aristotle developed a system of categories to classify everything that can be said or predicated about something.