ARISTOTLE'S MOTIVATION FOR HIS STUDENTS
Once upon a time in the glorious city of Athens, there lived a famous philosopher named Aristotle. He was known for his wisdom and often taught at a respected academy. One of his students, Alex, was an intelligent young man but often felt discouraged because of the difficulty of the lessons taught by Aristotle.
One day, after a tough study session on philosophy and logic, Alex came to Aristotle with a tired and confused face.
"Master Aristotle," said Alex, "Why does studying feel so difficult and tiring? Sometimes, I feel almost hopeless."
Aristotle, with a wise smile, patted Alex on the shoulder and said, "Let's take a short walk in the back garden."
They walked towards the garden behind the academy. The garden was full of various plants and trees, some of which were bearing abundant fruit. Aristotle stopped in front of a tall, lush fruit tree.
"My son, look at this tree," said Aristotle, "Did you know that this tree was once just a small seed? To become this big, it had to go through a long and difficult process. We had to dig the ground, plant the seed, water it every day, and protect it from pests. All of this is hard work and takes time."
Alex nodded, starting to understand the direction of his teacher's conversation.
"However, after all that effort, look at the fruit," continued Aristotle as he picked a ripe fruit and gave it to Alex. "This fruit is sweet and fresh, bringing us happiness and satisfaction."
Alex bit into the fruit and felt the fresh sweet taste spread in his mouth.
"Teacher, do you mean that education is like planting this tree?" Alex asked.
"Exactly," answered Aristotle. "Education has bitter roots. The learning process requires great effort, perseverance, and often sacrifice. However, the result of education is knowledge, wisdom, and the ability to understand the world better. With education, you will be able to see the world from different perspectives, make wise decisions, and contribute to the good of society."
Alex smiled, feeling new enthusiasm in his heart. "Now I understand, Master. I will try harder and be patient in the learning process, because I know the results will be very valuable."
Aristotle nodded proudly. "That's the right spirit. Always remember, every difficulty you face in studying is a step towards sweet fruit. Keep fighting and never give up."
Since that day, Alex no longer felt hopeless. He studied diligently, facing every challenge with fortitude. Years passed, and Alex grew into a wise and respected man, always remembering the valuable lessons he learned from the tree in the garden behind the academy.
ARISTOTLE
Aristotle is one of the greatest philosophers in history, whose contributions to philosophy, science, and various other disciplines were very profound. He became Plato's pupil at the Academy of Athens around 367 BC and studied there for about twenty years until Plato's death in 347 BC. The following is a brief account of their relationship and Aristotle's influence on philosophy and science.
The story of Aristotle and Plato
In 367 BC, a young man from the Macedonian city of Stageira arrived in Athens to study at the famous Academy. This young man was Aristotle, who had come to study under Plato, the great philosopher who had founded the Academy some two decades earlier.
Plato, famous for his teachings about ideal forms and the importance of the world of ideas, immediately recognized Aristotle's extraordinary talent. Aristotle, with his sharp intellect and deep curiosity, quickly became one of the Academy's most prominent students. He absorbed Plato's teachings and engaged in intense and deep discussions on various philosophical topics.
For the next twenty years, Aristotle studied at the Academy, studying philosophy, ethics, logic, and natural science. However, despite his great respect for his teacher, Aristotle did not always agree with all of Plato's teachings. One of the main differences between them is their view of reality. Plato taught that the real world is only a shadow of the perfect ideal forms that exist in the world of ideas.
Aristotle, on the other hand, believed that true reality lay in the individual objects of the world, not in the abstract world of ideas.
After Plato's death in 347 BC, Aristotle left Athens. He spent the next few years conducting research and teaching in various places, including at the court of the Macedonian king, Philip II, where he was tutor to the king's son, Alexander, who later became known as Alexander the Great.
In 335 BC, after Alexander had become king and conquered most of the then-known world, Aristotle returned to Athens and founded his own school, known as the Lyceum. At the Lyceum, Aristotle developed many of his own teachings and composed major works covering a wide range of fields, including logic, metaphysics, ethics, politics, and natural science.
Aristotle's influence on philosophy and science cannot be overstated. He is known as the "Father of Logic" because of his contributions to developing a system of formal logic that became the basis for many subsequent developments in philosophy and science. His works in metaphysics challenged Plato's teachings and introduced new concepts of substance and change.
In the field of ethics, Aristotle developed a theory of virtue which became the basis for many subsequent ethical teachings. He believed that happiness (eudaimonia) was the ultimate goal of humanity and could be achieved through the practice of virtue.
In politics, Aristotle analyzed various forms of government and wrote about the principles of justice and good government in his famous work, "Politics." His views on education, art, and biology were also highly influential.
Aristotle left a broad and varied intellectual legacy. His works have been the basis for education in the Western world for centuries and continue to be studied to this day. Although he was originally a student of Plato, Aristotle succeeded in developing a unique and comprehensive system of thought that influenced various fields of science and philosophy.
Aristotle pointed out that critical thinking and empirical observation are the keys to understanding the world. With his legacy, he showed that philosophy is not just about abstract speculation, but also about a practical and deep understanding of reality. As a student of Plato, he respected his teacher's teachings but also dared to challenge them, showing that truth is often found in deep debate and reflection.
"Aristotle is an outstanding example of a philosopher who not only learned from his teacher but also developed his own thinking and made an extraordinary contribution to human understanding of the world.
Moment Raffael Struick
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