Aristotle (384-322 BCE)

The author of PoliticsPoeticsOrganon, Physics, Metaphysics, Nicomachean Ethics and other influential works. Aristotle’s reliance on scientific reasoning set him apart from his teacher Plato and other philosophers in ancient Greece. His intellectual contributions to the subjects of philosophy, ethics, biology, physics, drama, and other fields are unmatched in Western civilization.

Plato (c. 427-347 BCE)

Ancient Greek philosopher (c. 427-347 BCE), and founder and head of the Academy that Aristotle studied at for twenty years. Nearly all Aristotle’s work can, to some extent, be traced back to Plato's influence, though he also disagreed with much of Plato's thought.