Aristotelians

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. Followers or adherents of the philosophy and teachings of Aristotle, especially his views on logic, metaphysics, ethics, and natural science
2. Individuals who study, support, or advocate the doctrines established by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, encompassing his approach to reason and empirical observation
3. People aligned with or influenced by Aristotle’s scholarly framework, including his methods of systematic inquiry and foundational principles in various branches of philosophy and science

Etymology: "Aristotelians" is the plural of "Aristotelian," an adjective and noun that refers to followers of the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BCE) or to anything shaped by his thought. The adjective was formed in Latin, from "Aristotelius" or "Aristoteleus," with the suffix "-an" added; the surface form looks like Aristotle plus the common English suffix "-ian," which is why the two often seem interchangeable. The Latin adjectives themselves took the name of the philosopher, who was born in Stagira in northern Greece and spent much of his career in Athens. The noun sense, meaning a person who follows Aristotle, grew naturally from the adjective. In the medieval universities of Europe, where Aristotle's logic, physics and metaphysics formed the core of advanced study, scholars were divided into camps, and those who defended his teachings took on the label that marked their allegiance to him. The plural form therefore names a whole intellectual tradition rather than a single doctrine.

Synonyms: followers of Aristotle, Peripatetics, philosophers, scholars, thinkers