The result was an enormous sphere of influence for Aristotle’s ideas, one that only began to be challenged by Renaissance thinkers nearly 2,000 years later. And of course, it also gave him direct sway over the mind of a man who would one day command an empire stretching from Greece to northwestern India. This position of influence gave Aristotle the means to establish the library at Lyceum, where he produced hundreds of writings on papyrus scrolls. He was also in a unique position to prevail directly over thinking throughout the known world, tutoring a young Alexander the Great at the request of the future conqueror’s father, Phillip II of Macedon. A small sampling of topics covered in Aristotle’s writing includes physics, biology, psychology, linguistics, logic, ethics, rhetoric, politics, government, music, theatre, poetry, and metaphysics. In addition to being a philosopher, Aristotle was also a scientist, which led him to consider an enormous array of topics, and largely through the view that all concepts and knowledge are ultimately based on perception. Aristotle’s enormous impact was a consequence both of the breadth of his writing and his personal reach during his lifetime. Most philosophers who followed - both those who echoed and those who opposed his ideas - owed a direct debt to his wide-ranging influence. The Second Vatican Council (1962–65) declared his Summa Theolgoiae - a compendium of all the teachings of the Catholic Church to that point - “Perennial Philosophy.”Īristotle is among the most important and influential thinkers and teachers in human history, often considered - alongside his mentor, Plato - to be a father of Western Philosophy.” Born in the northern part of ancient Greece, his writings and ideas on metaphysics, ethics, knowledge, and methodological inquiry are at the very root of human thought.Focused much of his work on reconciling Aristotelian and Christian principles, but also expressed a doctrinal openness to Jewish and Roman philosophers, all to the end of divining truth wherever it could be found.Adhered to the Platonic/Aristotelian principle of realism, which holds that certain absolutes exist in the universe, including the existence of the universe itself.His ideas also remain central to theological debate, discourse, and modes of worship. His writings, and Aquinas himself, are still considered among the preeminent models for Catholic priesthood.
This ontological approach is among the central premises underpinning modern Catholic philosophy and liturgy. This belief system holds that the existence of God is verified through reason and rational explanation, as opposed to through scripture or religious experience. His most important contribution to Western thought is the concept of natural theology (sometimes referred to as Thomism in tribute to his influence). Thomas Aquinas was a 13th century Dominican friar, theologian and Doctor of the Church, born in what is known today as the Lazio region of Italy. But think fast, because these mindblowers come at a furious pace. But what follows is your introduction, a rapid-fire look at 20 Major Philosophers, their Big Ideas, and their most important written works. Honestly, the only real way you can fully comprehend the theories, epistemologies, and frameworks described here is to read the writing created by - and critique dedicated to - each of these thinkers. But we think it’s worth the risk to give you a quick shot of knowledge while you prepare for your exam, tighten up your essay, or begin the research process.īecause philosophy is such a broad and encompassing subject - I mean, it’s basically about everything - we don’t claim to cover the subject comprehensively. We’re certain Socrates would question our motives, Emerson would criticize us for writing on the subject so far removed from nature, and Nietzsche would make fun of us until we cried. Well, consider us your fool, because that’s exactly what we’ve set out to do. So obviously, attempting to sum it up in a few pithy blurbs is a fool’s errand. It’s the search for meaning, for greater understanding, for answers to the questions surrounding our existence, our purpose, and the universe itself.
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