Aristotle's Universe and Philosohpy

Aristotle's universe has one central concept, and that is natural movement. The idea that everything has a natural order and a natural process. Rocks and stones fall, while fire rises. It was just their nature that this occurred, and not an outside force. It is possible to alter the natural way. You can hold a stone up, or throw it in the air. But once that is done, the stone goes back to its natural movement and will go downwards. Besides movement in forms like this, "every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim."



This is basically saying that actions also have a natural movement. Everything is aimed at reaching an end; " the end of the medical art is health, that of shipbuilding a vessel, that of strategy victor, that of economics wealth." The end is the goal, but it is not always met.



Aristotle seems to think that wealth is not and end because it is "merely useful and for the sake of something else." He believes that for this reason wealth is not the good we are seeking, and therefore not the end, but still in the middle. For wealth is then used to buy things or for status, making them the ends. However, Aristotle lets this topic go because he says it is worthless fighting over. Saying there have been many arguments and he can't do anything about it.



One of the main differences between Plato and Aristotle is their methods. Plato is mathematical; almost more theoretical than practical. Aristotle is out there more, seeing and experiencing his sciences, like dissections for biology. This was key to Aristotle because it helped for his 4 elements and the four opposites (wet and dry).

An interesting note about Aristotle was that movement is marked by time, so if there is no movement there is no time. For Plato, he believes in the creation of the universe. If their two thoughts are combined, this would mean that time didn't exist before since there was no movement.