He came to Athens at a young age and initially studied in Plato's school. After Plato's death, he attached himself to Aristotle who took to Theophrastus in his writings. When Aristotle fled Athens, Theophrastus took over as head of the Lyceum. Theophrastus presided over the Peripatetic school for thirty-six years, during which time the school flourished greatly. He is often considered the father of botany for his works on plants. After his death, the Athenians honoured him with a public funeral. His successor as head of the school was Strato of Lampsacus.
Vita e carriera
The interests of Theophrastus were wide ranging, including biology, physics, ethics and metaphysics. His two surviving botanical works, Enquiry into Plants (Historia Plantarum) and On the Causes of Plants, were an important influence on Renaissance science. There are also surviving works On Moral Characters, On Sense Perception, and On Stones, as well as fragments on Physics and Metaphysics. In philosophy, he studied grammar and language and continued Aristotle's work on logic. He also viewed space as merely the arrangement and position of bodies, time as a byproduct of motion, and motion as an inevitable result of all activity. In ethics, he regarded happiness as depending on external influences as well as on virtue.
Fatti chiave
- Born: January 1, 371 in Eresos
- Morto: 287
- Campo: Philosophy
Eredità e Impatto
The influence of Theophrastus extends far beyond his own lifetime. He fundamentally shaped human thought and intellectual discourse, and his ideas and philosophical frameworks remain foundational to this day.
Though he passed away in 287, his ideas continue to be studied, debated, and built upon by scholars and practitioners worldwide.
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