Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and mathematician one of the most important in history, who lived between 384 BC and 322 BC. His ideas have inspired many for more than 2000 years, and his thoughts are still alive today.
The most famous phrases and thoughts of Aristotle
During his life, Aristotle uttered many famous phrases that have remained in memory and history.
In this article you can find a compilation of some of his great famous quotes, with a brief reflection or explanation below each of them.
1. Intelligence consists not only of knowledge, but also of the skill of applying knowledge in practice
Knowledge is important, but if we do not put it into practice we will not be able to master it.
2. I consider the one who conquers his desires to be braver than the one who conquers his enemies, since the hardest victory is the victory over oneself
Achieving what you want is not always easy, you have to fight against the world and against yourself.
3. They wish each other well in the same sense
A phrase that invites the reader to free reflection.
4. There is only happiness where there is virtue and serious effort, because life is not a game
If we work hard and achieve something we want, then we will find happiness
5. A faithful friend is a soul in two bodies
Authentic friendship is a divine gift
6. You don’t know what you know until you can teach another
If we don’t master something, it is impossible for us to teach it to another person.
7. It is not enough to just tell the truth, it is better to show the cause of the falsehood
Proving the lie may be necessary for them to believe us.
8. Hope is the dream of the awakened man
Hope motivates us to move forward. To be moving despite the difficulties.
9. True happiness consists of doing good
If we are not honest and honest, we will hardly be happy.
10. Friendship is a soul that lives in two bodies; a heart that lives in two souls.
A nice play on words about friendship and love between friends.
11. The friend is another self. Without friendship man can not be happy
Friendship is one of the sources of happiness. A true friend is an extension of ourselves.
12. What you acquire with a lot of work, you love the more
Effort makes us value things when we have them.
13. It is important for anyone who wants to achieve certainty in their research to know how to doubt in time.
Doubt can make us reflect and grow.
14. The punishment of the liar is not to be believed, even when he tells the truth
An ironic phrase about liars and their punishment.
15. Perfect friendship is that of the good and those who are similar in virtue
Another quote from Aristotle about friendship and how perfection in a relationship is based on honesty.
16. It is thought that fair is equal, and so it is; but not for everyone, but for equals. On the contrary, it is thought that what is fair is what is unequal, and so it is, but not for everyone, but for the unequal.
We decide what is good or bad by consensus, but also by interest.
17. Some believe that to be friends it is enough to love, as if to be healthy it was enough to desire health.
You have to work on friendship, you don’t just have to feel affection.
18. The ignorant affirms, the wise doubts and reflects
Wisdom is found in reflection and questioning things.
19. The lonely man is a beast or a god
A quote from Aristotle that refers to loneliness.
20. You never reach the total truth, nor are you ever totally far from it
Truths are relative, as Aristotle says.
21. Anyone can get angry, that’s a very simple thing. But getting angry at the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way, is certainly not that simple.
We all get angry, and expressing it incorrectly can cause problems.
22. Everyone’s friend is not a friend
A friend is not the same as a person who is nice to everyone.
23. It is ignorance not to know how to distinguish between what needs demonstration and what does not need it.
There are things that don’t need to be explained. An act is worth a thousand words.
24. The purpose of art is to embody the secret essence of things, not to copy their appearance
Art is creativity, not plagiarism.
25. It is an indisputable principle that to know how to command well, it is necessary to know how to obey.
When one has experienced it firsthand, then one can do something with knowledge.
26. Wisdom is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity
Wisdom helps us act in difficult times.
27. The soul is what we live, feel and think by
What we carry in our soul is our motivation, our engine to move.
28. You cannot be and not be something at the same time and under the same aspect
A phrase that talks about hypocrisy.
29. Time is the measure of movement between two instants
Aristotle, reflecting on what time is.
30. In reality, living as a man means choosing a target – honor, glory, wealth, culture – and aiming towards it with all your conduct, since not ordering life to an end is a sign of great foolishness.
People are moved by objectives and that is why we fight for them.
31. A state is better governed by a good man than by good laws
An honest leader is more than good laws.
32. Virtue comes to light in adversity
It is in difficult moments when we rediscover ourselves.
33. The story tells what happened; poetry what was supposed to happen
A nice reflection on what poetry is.
34. Those who do well are the only ones who can aspire to happiness in life
If we do things wrong, sooner or later we will pay for it.
35. The wise man does not say everything he thinks, but he always thinks everything he says
Wise people know that sometimes you have to keep things quiet.
36. Love only occurs between virtuous people
Love is born within pure hearts.
37. The only truth is reality
Everything that cannot be proven can be falsified.
38. A miser is he who does not spend what he owes, nor what he owes, nor when he owes.
A play on words about greed.
39. Man can learn nothing except by virtue of what he already knows
Aristotle, philosophizing about people’s learning.
40. You can’t untie a knot without knowing how it is made
We cannot solve problems without thinking about how to do it.
41. Just as the eyes of bats are dazzled by daylight, in the same way the intelligence of our soul is dazzled by obvious things.
A thought that allows us to reflect deeply.
42. Learning is not child’s play; we cannot learn without pain
The best learning experiences are those that have caused us suffering.
43. You want more what you have achieved with a lot of effort
Even if it costs us at the moment, we will be grateful in the long run.
44. Great knowledge generates great doubts
Existential doubts are what make us reflect deeply and, at the same time, grow.
45. Dialecticians and sophists, in their disquisitions, take on the appearance of philosophers
For Aristotle, a sophist is someone who uses sophism to reason.
46. There is only one driving force: desire
Desire makes us move and move forward. It is our motivation.
47. Man is, by nature, a political animal
People have always had political concerns.
48. Knowing is remembering
If we don’t remember something, it’s like we don’t know.
49. Tyrants surround themselves with bad men because they like to be flattered and no man of high spirit will flatter them
Only the bad guys are going to want to be with the bad guys.
50. Virtue is an acquired voluntary disposition, which consists of a middle term between two bad extremes, one due to excess and the other due to defect.
Aristotle, with his reflection, reminds us what virtue is
51. Philosophy must be a special knowledge of first principles and first causes.
Aristotle is, without a doubt, one of the most famous philosophers in history.
52. He who possesses the most exact notions about the causes of things and is able to give a perfect account of them in his teaching, is wiser than all others in any other science.
There is no better expert than the one who is capable of passing on knowledge to his disciples.
53. A perfect government is not necessary; you need one that is practical
What the people need is for the government to function based on their needs.
54. Doubt is the beginning of wisdom
Doubt moves our consciousness towards reflection and true learning.
55. Acquiring such or such habits from a young age is not of little importance: it is of absolute importance
The habits we learn at an early age are difficult to change.
56. Nature never does anything without reason
Nature has a purpose, according to Aristotle.
57. The antidote to fifty enemies is a friend
A single friend is worth more than all the enemies in the world.
58. Oral teachings must adapt to the habits of the listeners
The sender must be aware of the needs and characteristics of the receiver.
59. Quality is not an act, it is a habit
Quality is what lasts over time.
60. A definition is a phrase that means the essence of a thing
Aristotle, although it may sound ironic, defining the term definition.
61. The beauty of man is not in sound, or in meaning
It’s not how we say it, but what we mean.
62. Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the general and final goal of human existence
All people want to be happy That is our great motivation.
63. By building well, you become a good architect
With practice, we can become experts at something and improve our skills.
64. We become brave by doing brave acts
It is not the words that count, but the actions.
65. At his best man is the noblest of all animals; he separated from law and justice he is the worst
Human beings can be good, although not everyone applies honesty and kindness.
66. The best thing is to leave life as if from a party, neither thirsty nor drunk
Life must be lived slowly but without pause.
67. All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire
There is no destiny, but what happens is an accumulation of circumstances.
68. The wise man does not needlessly expose himself to danger, since there are few things about which he cares enough; but he is willing, in great crises, to give even his life, knowing that under certain circumstances he is not worth living
Wisdom is part of many of Aristotle’s reflections.
69. We acquire a particular quality by acting in a particular way
A quote with a certain touch of irony that speaks of the particular way of acting.
70. There is no great genius without a mixture of madness
Creativity can be born in madness.
71. A good style should have an air of novelty and at the same time hide its art
The novelty, without a doubt, is the most valued.
72. True wisdom lies in recognizing one’s own ignorance
Knowing that we are not perfect is a big step toward becoming wise.
73. Good style must be, above all, clear
A clear style is, without a doubt, the best option.
74. Pleasure at work brings perfection to work
When we love what we do, we work much better.
75. In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme
In authentic democracy the people rule.
76. In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a safe haven
True friends are there through thick and thin.
77. Democracy is when the destitute, and not the men of property, are the rulers
In a real democracy, money does not rule.
78. Great men are always of an originally melancholic nature
Melancholy is part of the human essence.
79. The goal of the wise is not to ensure pleasure, but to avoid pain
Pain is where authentic learning is born. That is, wisdom.
80. The law is reason free of passion
The law is made with the head rather than the heart.
81. Those who know, do. Those who understand, teach
Those who are experts in something have the ability to teach.
82. In all things of nature there is something wonderful
Nature, although sometimes we don’t see it, is magnificent.
83. To perceive is to suffer
If we expose ourselves to the world, we may suffer. This is what makes us grow.
84. I count as braver the one who overcomes his desires than the one who overcomes his enemies
The person who truly finds himself is virtuous.
85. Victory has many mothers and defeat is an orphan
When things go well for us, everyone loves us. When things go wrong for us, no one pays attention to us.
86. He who is incapable of living in society or he who has no need because he has enough with himself, must be either a beast or a god
Society has the irritating habit of judging everything we do.
87. Character can almost be called the most effective means of persuasion
When we disagree, we try to impose our ideas.
88. A true friend is a soul in two bodies
True friend love lives inside two souls.
89. Love is made up of a soul inhabiting two bodies
Love and authentic friendship have great meaning for us.
90. The only exclusive sign of deep knowledge is the power to teach
Only if we are experts in something can we teach others.
91. Change is always sweet
This philosopher understood that change, modification and evolution are normal.
92. The purpose of work is leisure
Aristotle saw work as something that is resorted to simply to be able to live by one’s means.
93. The secret of humor is surprise
A reflection on the main ingredient of humor.
94. Nature never does anything in vain
What is natural is what is spontaneous, what simply is.
95. Bad men are full of regret
An appreciation on the minds of morally bad people
96. Wit is polite insolence
An intelligent phrase about human relationships.
97. All paid jobs degrade and absorb the soul
Aristotle was a strongly moralistic philosopher, and this was reflected in his beliefs about work.
98. Philosophy can make people sick
Intellectual growth can have its risks.
99. The soul never thinks without a mental image
This is Aristotle’s conception of thought.
100. He who is not a good follower cannot be a good leader
Aristotle believed in a learning process based on humility.
101. Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.
A phrase with which we can base all our future learning.
102. It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
Understanding an idea or thought does not mean agreeing with it.
103. The energy of the mind is the essence of life.
A truly revolutionary approach for the time in which this great thinker lived.
104. Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.
Intellectual knowledge must be linked to a series of essential human values.
105. No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.
A constant throughout the history of humanity.
106. Happiness depends on ourselves.
The good news is that if we strive to achieve the life we want we will be happy.
107. Anyone can get angry, that is easy, but getting angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and with the right purpose and in the right way, that is not available to everyone and is not easy.
A surprising and profound approach to people’s anger.
108. To perceive is to suffer.
A somewhat pessimistic contribution about perception.
109. Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
Only by being patient will we achieve something in life.
110. A friend of everyone is a friend of no one.
Wanting to please everyone is the way to not please anyone.
111. Wanting to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a fruit that ripens slowly.
Friendship is one of the most special human relationships that exist.
112. He who has overcome his fears will be truly free.
Sometimes fears are what truly prevent us from moving forward in life.
113. Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the total goal and end of human existence.
One of the essential keys of Aristotelian philosophy.
114. Those who educate children well are more worthy of honor than those who produce them; because to these he only gave life, to those the art of living well
A plea in favor of educators and teachers around the world.
115. The antidote to fifty enemies is a friend.
A single real friend will help us fully live the concept of friendship.
116. Poverty is the mother of revolution and crime.
Aristotle also reflected on the injustices of his society.
117. Pleasure at work brings perfection to work.
Without having fun working it is difficult for us to do something useful.
118. Learning is not child’s play; we cannot learn without pain.
For this great philosopher, learning required sacrifice on the part of the person.
Without the relationship with others we could not survive.
120. Some save as if they lived forever. Others spend as if they were going to die right now.
A phrase that continues to maintain its validity today.
121. Society is something that precedes the individual. Anyone who cannot lead the common life or is so self-sufficient as not to need it, and therefore does not participate in society, is a beast or a god.
A very interesting contribution about the social nature of human beings.
122. The whole is more than the sum of the parts.
The whole of something is always worth more than its parts added separately.
123. The more you know, the more you know that you don’t know.
An Aristotelian maxim inherited from Platonic philosophy.
124. Because the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.
There is no other way to learn in life.
125. Being a good man and a good citizen are not always the same.
The great Greek philosophers theorized extensively about the concept of goodness and also citizenship.
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