On Youth And Old Age, On Life And Death, On Breathing

On Youth And Old Age, On Life And Death, On Breathing Aristotle - One of the short treatises that make up Aristotle's Parva Naturalia. The title On Youth And Old Age, On Life And Death, On Breathing, given in the Medieval manuscripts, derives from the treatise's opening words: 'We must now treat of youth and old age and life and death. We must probably also at the same time state the causes of respiration as well, since in some cases living and the reverse depend on this.'Along with Plato and Socrates, Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) is one of the triumvirate of philosophers responsible for the establishment of Western philosophy as it exists today. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were among the first to refine philosophical thought, and Socrates is credited with devising the Socratic Method as a way to argue and debate points rationally. The Ancient Greek philosophers further stressed the importance of virtue and stoicism, advocating the improvement of ones self through constant learning and knowledge. These teachings and practices formed the foundation for philosophy and psychology as fields of study. Still, Aristotle was very much his own philosopher. Though he studied at Platos famous academy, he was not hesitant to counter or criticize Platos philosophical stances on certain issues. Aristotle was the most renowned Ancient Greek philosopher for nearly 2,000 years, and his most famous work is Rhetoric, his preeminent treatise on the art of persuasion. Aristotle is widely credited with being the forbearer of the study of the art of rhetoric. This edition of Aristotles On Youth and Old Age, On Life and Death, On Breathing.

Aristotle (384322 B.C.) numbers among the greatest philosophers of all time. Judged solely in terms of his philosophical influence, only Plato is his peer: Aristotle's works shaped centuries of philosophy from Late Antiquity through the Renaissance, and even today continue to be studied with keen, non-antiquarian interest. A prodigious researcher and writer, Aristotle left a great body of work, perhaps numbering as many as two-hundred treatises, from which approximately thirty-one survive. His extant writings span a wide range of disciplines, from logic, metaphysics and philosophy of mind, through ethics, political theory, aesthetics and rhetoric, and into such primarily non-philosophical fields as empirical biology, where he excelled at detailed plant and animal observation and taxonomy. In all these areas, Aristotle's theories have provided illumination, met with resistance, sparked debate, and generally stimulated the sustained interest of an abiding readership.Because of its wide range and its remoteness in time, Aristotle's philosophy defies easy encapsulation. The long history of interpretation and appropriation of Aristotelian texts and themesspanning over two millennia and comprising philosophers working within a variety of religious and secular traditionshas rendered even basic points of interpretation controversial. The set of entries on Aristotle in this site addresses this situation by proceeding in three tiers. First, the present, general entry offers a brief account of Aristotle's life and characterizes his central philosophical commitments, highlighting his most distinctive methods and most influential achievements. Second are General Topics which offer detailed introductions to the main areas of Aristotle's philosophical activity. Finally, there follow Special Topics which investigate in greater detail more narrowly focused issues, especially those of central concern in recent Aristotelian scholarship.