Few philosophers have so extensively influenced thought and language as Aristotle. His conception of the universe pervades Christian theology. Knowledge of his thought is necessary to understand Bacon, Galileo and the modern scientific view of nature, as well as Dante and many passages from Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton. Many phrases such as "liberal education" and "theory" contrasted with "practice" originated with this student of Plato and tutor of Alexander the Great. Writing to inform the beginner and stimulate the expert, eminent scholar A.E. Taylor presents a searching analysis of Aristotle's thought, including classification of the sciences; formal logic; theory of knowledge; matter and form; the four causes; God; physics; biology; sensation; ethics; theory of the state; the fine arts. He also considers Aristotle's provincialism, errors regarding the nervous system and astronomy, and defense of slavery.

How can Aristotle help you become a better person? In this course by award-winning teacher and leading Aristotle expert Prof. Cary J. Nederman (PhD, York University), you will become a more ethical person as you explore Aristotelian thought. The word "politics" is an often-controversial term in our day, conjuring associations with partisanship and subterfuge. But as conceived by the ancient Greeks, politics was essential for becoming a virtuous person. Learn from one of the leading experts on Aristotle and political theory.

it is unquestionable that Plato's understanding of education has had a profound impact on the development of educational theory and practice around the world for nearly two-and-a-half millennia. The study of his views is thus greatly beneficial, both as a means of examining fundamental questions about the nature of education addressed in his work, and also as a means of better understanding the historical roots of the western educational tradition.

Aristotle considers ‘the principles and causes of change, or movement’ behind both animate and inanimate things. It is philosophy, not science, but over centuries affected the views of those involved in the ‘natural sciences’. The text emerged from the Lyceum, the school founded by Aristotle, and is accepted to be a compilation of texts, some of which - but perhaps not all - is by Aristotle. Regardless of authorship, its importance is unquestioned.

This famous work by Lucretius is a masterpiece of didactic poetry, and it still stands today as the finest exposition of Epicurean philosophy ever written. The poem was produced in the middle of first century B.C., a period that was to witness a flowering of Latin literature unequaled for beauty and intellectual power in subsequent ages. The Latin title, De Rerum Natura, translates literally to On the Nature of Things and is meant to impress the reader with the breadth and depth of Epicurean philosophy.