40 Excellent Quotes by Aristotle on Life, Education & Politics

40 Excellent Quotes by Aristotle on Life, Education & Politics

Last updated on September 8th, 2023 at 01:41 pm

Aristotle was a Greek Philosopher during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. As Platoโ€™s most famous student, Aristotle spent his time researching and writing on a vast array of topics such as physics, ethics, poetry, aesthetics, theatre, economics and politics. So highly regarded in his time, he was even appointed as the tutor of Alexander the Great by Philip II of Macedon.

That would be a great idea toย custom written paperย to find more Aristotleโ€™s quotes and more information about this ancient Greek philosopher and polymath.

Clearly, we have a lot to digest from his writings and therefore a lot to learn from. At Turtle Quote we have extracted our favorite Quotes By Aristotle from these workings!

Quotes by Aristotle from โ€˜Nicomachean Ethicsโ€™

It is the mark of an educated man to look for precision in each class of things just so far as the nature of the subject admits.โ€

โ€“ Quotes by ARISTOTLE, Nicomachean Ethics โ€“ Book I

โ€œThe life of money-making is one undertaken under compulsion, and wealth is evidently not the good we are seeking; for it is merely useful and for the sake of something else.โ€

โ€“ QUOTES BY ARISTOTLE, NICOMACHEAN ETHICS โ€“ BOOK I

โ€œForย one swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day; and so too one day, or a short time, does not make a man blessed and happy.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, NICOMACHEAN ETHICS โ€“ BOOK I

โ€œLet this serve as an outline of the good; for we must presumably first sketch it roughly, and then later fill in the details.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, NICOMACHEAN ETHICS โ€“ BOOK I

โ€œEverything that depends on the action of nature is by nature as good as it can be.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, NICOMACHEAN ETHICS โ€“ BOOK I

โ€œThe truly good and wise man will bear all kinds of fortune in a seemly way, and will always act in the noblest manner that the circumstances allow.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, NICOMACHEAN ETHICS โ€“ BOOK I

โ€œFor the things we have to learn before we can do, we learn by doing.โ€

โ€“ QUOTES BY ARISTOTLE, NICOMACHEAN ETHICS โ€“ BOOK I

โ€œIn a word, acts of any kind produce habits or characters of the same kind.โ€

โ€“ QUOTES BY ARISTOTLE, NICOMACHEAN ETHICS โ€“ BOOK II

โ€œAnybody can become angry, that is easy; but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way, that is not within everybodyโ€™s power and is not easy.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, NICOMACHEAN ETHICS โ€“ BOOK II (Variant)

โ€œWe must as second best, as people say, take the least of the evils.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, NICOMACHEAN ETHICS โ€“ BOOK II

โ€œTherefore only an utterly senseless person can fail to know thatย our characters are the result of our conduct.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, NICOMACHEAN ETHICS โ€“ BOOK III

โ€œWithout friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, NICOMACHEAN ETHICS โ€“ BOOK VIII

โ€œThe best friend is he that, when he wishes a personโ€™s good, wishes it for that personโ€™s own sake.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, NICOMACHEAN ETHICS โ€“ BOOK ix

โ€œAnd happiness is thought to depend on leisure; forย we are busy that we may have leisure, and makeย warย that we may live inย peace.โ€

โ€“ QUOTES BY ARISTOTLE, NICOMACHEAN ETHICS โ€“ BOOK X
aristotle quotes

Quotes by Aristotle on Life

โ€œKnowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.โ€

ARISTOTLE

โ€œIt is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.โ€

ARISTOTLE

โ€œHappiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.โ€

ARISTOTLE

โ€œThose who know, do. Those that understand, teach.โ€

ARISTOTLE

โ€œPoverty is the parent of revolution and crime.โ€

ARISTOTLE

Quotes by Aristotle From โ€˜Politicsโ€™

โ€œManย is byย natureย aย politicalย animal.โ€

โ€“ QUOTES BY ARISTOTLE, Politics โ€“ Book I

โ€œNatureย does nothing uselessly.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, POLITICS โ€“ BOOK I

โ€œWhere some people are very wealthy and others have nothing, the result will be either extreme democracy or absolute oligarchy, or despotism will come from either of those excesses.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, POLITICS โ€“ BOOK I

โ€œHe who is unable to live inย society, or who has noย needย because he is sufficient for himself, must be either aย beastย or aย god.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, POLITICS โ€“ BOOK I
nature quotes

โ€œMan, when perfected, is the best ofย animals, but when separated fromย lawย andย justice, he is the worst of all.โ€

โ€“ QUOTES BY ARISTOTLE, โ€“ BOOK I

โ€œMoneyย was intended to be used in exchange, but not to increase at interest.ย And this term interest, which means theย birthย of money from money, is applied to the breeding of money because the offspring resembles the parent.ย Wherefore of all modes of getting wealth this is the most unnatural.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, POLITICS โ€“ BOOK I

โ€œIt is of the nature ofย desireย not to be satisfied, and most men live only for the gratification of it.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, POLITICS โ€“ BOOK II

โ€œEven whenย lawsย have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, POLITICS โ€“ BOOK II

โ€œThatย judgesย of important causes should hold office forย lifeย is a disputable thing, for theย mindย grows old as well as the body.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, POLITICS โ€“ BOOK II
mankind quotes

โ€œThe good citizen need not ofย necessityย possess theย virtueย which makes a good man.โ€

โ€“ QUOTES BY ARISTOTLE, POLITICS โ€“ BOOK III

โ€œTheย lawย isย reasonย unaffected byย desire.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, POLITICS โ€“ BOOK III

โ€œInferiors revolt in order that they may be equal, and equals that they may be superior. Such is the state of mind which createsย revolutions.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, POLITICS โ€“ BOOK V

โ€œThe basis of a democratic state isย liberty.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, POLITICS โ€“ BOOK Vi

โ€œThe appropriate age forย marriageย is around eighteen for girls and thirty-seven for men.โ€ (We wonder if this one was supposed to be humorous!)

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, POLITICS โ€“ BOOK VII

โ€œHappiness, whether consisting inย pleasureย orย virtue, or both, is more often found with those who are highly cultivated in theirย mindsย and in theirย character, and have only a moderate share of external goods, than among those who possess external goods to a useless extent but are deficient in higher qualities.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, POLITICS โ€“ BOOK VIi

โ€œThose who cannot face danger like men are the slaves of any invader.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, POLITICS โ€“ BOOK VII
freedom quotes

Quotes by Aristotle From Various Works

โ€œKnowledge of the fact differs from knowledge of the reason for the fact.โ€

โ€“ Aristotle, Posterior Analytics โ€“ Part XIII

โ€œAllย men byย natureย desireย toย know.โ€ย 

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, Metaphysics โ€“ Book I

โ€œIt is simplicity that makes the uneducated more effective than the educated when addressing popular audiences.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, Rhetoric โ€“ Book II

โ€œPoetry demands aย manย with a specialย giftย for it, or else one with a touch of madness in him.โ€

โ€“ ARISTOTLE, Poetics

โ€œThe roots of education โ€ฆ are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.โ€

โ€“ QUOTES BY ARISTOTLE, The lives and Opinion of Eminent Philosophers
education quotes

Quotes Frequently Misattributed to Aristotle

  • โ€œWe are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.โ€

This is actually a summation of Aristotleโ€™s ideas by Will Durant.

  • โ€œThere is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing and be nothing.โ€

Instead from Elbert Hubbardsโ€™, โ€œLittle Journeys to the homes of American Statesmenโ€

  • โ€œThose who can, do, those who cannot, teachโ€

The origin of this quote is unclear but we were unable to find it in any of Aristotleโ€™s texts.

We hope that you enjoyed our selection of Quotes by Aristotle! Perhaps you would also enjoy our collection from Leonardo da Vinci or even from one of his students, Alexander the Great!

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