Aristotle quotes

The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

We make war that we may live in peace.

The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge is the power of teaching.

Personal beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of reference.

The true and the approximately true are apprehended by the same faculty; it may also be noted that men have a sufficient natural instinct for what is true, and usually do arrive at the truth. Hence the man who makes a good guess at truth is likely to make a good guess at probabilities.

A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side.

Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers.

Piety requires us to honor truth above our friends.

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.

Poetry is finer and more philosophical than history; for poetry expresses the universal, and history only the particular.

Man is by nature a political animal.

Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting in a particular way.

What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do.

A sense is what has the power of receiving into itself the sensible forms of things without the matter, in the way in which a piece of wax takes on the impress of a signet-ring without the iron or gold.

We are not angry with people we fear or respect, as long as we fear or respect them; you cannot be afraid of a person and also at the same time angry with him.

The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.

Perfect friendship is the friendship of men who are good, and alike in excellence; for these wish well alike to each other qua good, and they are good in themselves.

Politicians also have no leisure, because they are always aiming at something beyond political life itself, power and glory, or happiness.

Education is the best provision for old age.

The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances.

All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire.

It is unbecoming for young men to utter maxims.

We are not angry with people we fear or respect, as long as we fear or respect them; you cannot be afraid of a person and also at the same time angry with him.

It is Homer who has chiefly taught other poets the art of telling lies skillfully.

Hope is a waking dream.

All men by nature desire knowledge.

Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.

Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.

Education is the best provision for old age.

Friendship is essentially a partnership.

Hence poetry is something more philosophic and of graver import than history, since its statements are rather of the nature of universals, whereas those of history are singulars.

The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge is the power of teaching.

Excellence, then, is a state concerned with choice, lying in a mean, relative to us, this being determined by reason and in the way in which the man of practical wisdom would determine it.

The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.

At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.

It is clearly better that property should be private, but the use of it common; and the special business of the legislator is to create in men this benevolent disposition.

Wit is educated insolence.

Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers.

Different men seek after happiness in different ways and by different means, and so make for themselves different modes of life and forms of government.

For 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.

The secret to humor is surprise.

Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.

It is best to rise from life as from a banquet, neither thirsty nor drunken.

Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others.

Therefore, the good of man must be the end of the science of politics.

He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god.

You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.

Persuasion is achieved by the speaker's personal character when the speech is so spoken as to make us think him credible. We believe good men more fully and more readily than others: this is true generally whatever the question is, and absolutely true where exact certainty is impossible and opinions are divided.

It is best to rise from life as from a banquet, neither thirsty nor drunken.

Plato is dear to me, but dearer still is truth.

He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god.

The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousandfold.

The energy of the mind is the essence of life.

The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.

My best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake.

Therefore, the good of man must be the end of the science of politics.

If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is nature's way.

For as the eyes of bats are to the blaze of day, so is the reason in our soul to the things which are by nature most evident of all.

My best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake.

It is clearly better that property should be private, but the use of it common; and the special business of the legislator is to create in men this benevolent disposition.

Poetry is finer and more philosophical than history; for poetry expresses the universal, and history only the particular.

The generality of men are naturally apt to be swayed by fear rather than reverence, and to refrain from evil rather because of the punishment that it brings than because of its own foulness.

The state comes into existence for the sake of life and continues to exist for the sake of good life.

Hence poetry is something more philosophic and of graver import than history, since its statements are rather of the nature of universals, whereas those of history are singulars.

Democracy arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim to be absolutely equal.

Perfect friendship is the friendship of men who are good, and alike in excellence; for these wish well alike to each other qua good, and they are good in themselves.

Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion. This is not a function of any other art.

Hence poetry is something more philosophic and of graver import than history, since its statements are rather of the nature of universals, whereas those of history are singulars.

Youth is easily deceived because it is quick to hope.

Education is the best provision for old age.

The generality of men are naturally apt to be swayed by fear rather than reverence, and to refrain from evil rather because of the punishment that it brings than because of its own foulness.

Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god.

If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost.

Jealousy is both reasonable and belongs to reasonable men, while envy is base and belongs to the base, for the one makes himself get good things by jealousy, while the other does not allow his neighbour to have them through envy.

Democracy arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim to be absolutely equal.

Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.

If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost.

Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.

If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost.

Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.

All men by nature desire knowledge.

Men create gods after their own image, not only with regard to their form but with regard to their mode of life.

The wise man does not expose himself needlessly to danger, since there are few things for which he cares sufficiently; but he is willing, in great crises, to give even his life - knowing that under certain conditions it is not worthwhile to live.

Courage is a mean with regard to fear and confidence.

All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire.

We make war that we may live in peace.

The end of labor is to gain leisure.

Nature does nothing in vain.

Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.

Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind.

For though we love both the truth and our friends, piety requires us to honor the truth first.

But if nothing but soul, or in soul mind, is qualified to count, it is impossible for there to be time unless there is soul, but only that of which time is an attribute, i.e. if change can exist without soul.

Homer has taught all other poets the art of telling lies skillfully.

Different men seek after happiness in different ways and by different means, and so make for themselves different modes of life and forms of government.

Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.

Every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and choice, 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.

A friend to all is a friend to none.

Bad men are full of repentance.

Politicians also have no leisure, because they are always aiming at something beyond political life itself, power and glory, or happiness.

Men are swayed more by fear than by reverence.

Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.

Bashfulness is an ornament to youth, but a reproach to old age.

Jealousy is both reasonable and belongs to reasonable men, while envy is base and belongs to the base, for the one makes himself get good things by jealousy, while the other does not allow his neighbour to have them through envy.

Democracy arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim to be absolutely equal.

To attain any assured knowledge about the soul is one of the most difficult things in the world.

A great city is not to be confounded with a populous one.

Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.

He who hath many friends hath none.

Courage is a mean with regard to fear and confidence.

The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom.

He who can be, and therefore is, another's, and he who participates in reason enough to apprehend, but not to have, is a slave by nature.

I have gained this from philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law.

Man is by nature a political animal.

The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.

To run away from trouble is a form of cowardice and, while it is true that the suicide braves death, he does it not for some noble object but to escape some ill.

Different men seek after happiness in different ways and by different means, and so make for themselves different modes of life and forms of government.

Change in all things is sweet.

All men by nature desire knowledge.

Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well.

The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances.

There is no great genius without some touch of madness.

Politicians also have no leisure, because they are always aiming at something beyond political life itself, power and glory, or happiness.

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.