Aristotle

Born in Stagira in 384 BC, Aristotle studied for many years in Plato’s Academy before developing his own way of thinking. He later taught the young Alexander the Great and went on to found the Lyceum in Athens, where he and his students studied an extraordinary range of subjects.

Aristotle wrote about logic, ethics, politics, poetry, physics, psychology, and the natural world. Rather than focusing only on abstract ideals, he paid close attention to observation and classification, which helped give his work a practical, grounded feel that still appeals to readers today.

Though he died in 322 BC, his influence lasted for centuries across philosophy, science, theology, and education. Many of his most famous works, including the Nicomachean Ethics, Politics, and Poetics, remain central to conversations about how people think, act, govern, and create.