Aristotle was born in Stagira, a colony on the peninsula of Chalcidice, Greece. Aristotle's father, a physician named Nicomachus was employed for the royal Macedonian household. Originally, Aristotle studied medicine, but at the age of about 17, Aristotle was sent to Athens to study with Plato's until his death in 347 B.C., or shortly thereafter. He stayed at Plato's Academy until about 347. The next twelve years of Aristotle's life are not well documented.

Aristotle opposed some of Plato's teachings, and when Plato died Aristotle was not appointed the head the academy. Aristotle spent time traveling, and possibly studying biology, in Asia Minor and its islands. He returned to Macedonia in 338 to tutor Alexander the Great; after Alexander conquered Athens, Aristotle returned to Athens and set up a school of his own, known as the Lycheum.

Aristotle was primarily a scientist. Even though at one time he engaged in being a doctor, his primary interests seemed to be science and philosophy. He spent a large portion of his life dedicated to the science of biology and the collection of data for that topic. Aristotle considered a science pursued for its own sake to be called theoretical, and it searches for the truth; a science which is seeking as a means to producing something out of certain materials is called productive. Aristotle considered there to be three main sciences: philosophy, physics, and mathematics (Farrington 112).

After setting up his school he remained there to teach and lead students in there study of the sciences. He also wrote and published many dialogues, but we have lost them all. What we do have though is his technical treatises, and the substance of his lectures when he was head of the Lyceum.

After the death of Alexander, Athens went into a rebellion against Macedonian rulers, and since he was a Macedonian aristocrat, he fled the area to avoid being put to death. He traveled to the island of Euboea and soon after died of unknown causes.