Aristotle
Aristotle (Aristotelēs) (384–322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist, a disciple of Plato.
The influence of Aristotle on Georgian culture can be seen from the 4th century with the Neoplatonic school of Colchis (Kaukhchishvili S., Bizantiuri Literaturis Istoria [History of Byzantine Literature], 1973, pp. 89–90). After Porphyry, Neoplatonists paid close attention to Aristotle's teachings. Themistius of Paphlagonia followed this school of thought; however, some considered that he belonged to the Peripatetics school.
In the 11th–12th centuries, all the important aspects of Aristotle’s teachings were discussed in length in the works of works Arsen Ikaltoeli (translations) and Ioane Petritsi (commentaries). At that time, in Georgia there were signs of dispute between the followers of Aristotle and Plato. Arsen Ikaltoeli assigns superiority to Aristotle, while Ioane Petritsi favors Plato. Petritsi considers Aristotle the pinnacle of human wisdom; however, he allows his criticism. Plato, on the other hand, is beyond reproach. Ioane Petritsi thought that if his contemporaries had helped him, he would have founded so-called true Platonic theology with the help of Aristotle’s logic.
Chakhrukhadze, in his "Tamariani," declares Aristotle the greatest thinker of this world. Shavteli talks about the significance of peripatetics. Shota Rustaveli was clearly influenced by Aristotle. S. Dodashvili in "Logic" agrees with I. Kant's theory that Aristotle first and forever defined the meaning and borders of logic. Sh. Nutsubidze, M. Gogiberisze, S. Danelia, K. Bakradze, S. Tsereteli and others developed interesting concepts around Aristotle’s philosophy.
Aristotle had a special work dedicated to the history and ethnography of Colchis and Scythia called 'Barbarian Customs'. This work was lost; however, in his other works, he provides accidental but quite significant findings related to Georgia. For example, in 'Meteorology' he twice mentions (350, 351, which literary translates to “so-called deep waters”) a city on the southeast of the Black Sea coast, which should be the oldest written mention of “Batumi”. In 'History of Animals' (III, 21), Aristotle mentions the cows of Phasis, which are smaller in size but produce large amounts of milk (while the cows of Epirus are larger but produce less milk). This information indicates that, from the earliest times, Georgians knew about livestock herding. Furthermore, he provides detailed information about the bees and honey of Pontus.
Aristote’s Politics includes small segment about the “State Structure of Phasis." Aristotle considered “Iberians” as the inhabitants of Spain. However, in Politics, Iberians are mentioned in such a manner that one could easily consider this information to be about Iberians of Georgian. According to this source, the Iberians were warrior tribes. They put obelisks around a person’s grave. And the number of obelisks corresponded to the number of people said to have been killed by the person. The work “On Marvelous Things Heard” is often associated with Aristotle; however, it was written during Arrian. This work contains detailed information about the quality and production of the iron of Chalybes and the copper of Mossynoeci (833 b). The 3rd-century BC work “Papilos” is attributed to Aristotle as well. The epitaph of Aeetes, King of “Gold-rich Colchis,” consists of 43 fragments. Such an epithet (i.e., gold-rich Colchis) indicates that Aristotle considered this country to be both rich and powerful.
Literary works: პოეტიკა, თარგმ. და კომენტ. ს. დანელიასი, თბ., 1944; მეტაფიზიკა, თარგმ. და კომენტ. თ. კუკავასი, თბ., 1964; რიტორიკა, თარგმ. და კომენტ. თ. კუკავასი, თბ., 1981.
Literature: გოგიბერიძე მ., რჩეული ფილოსოფიური თხზულებანი, ტ. 3, თბ., 1972; დანელია ს., ნარკვევები ანტიკური და ახალი ფილოსოფიის ისტორიაში, თბ., 1978; ნუცუბიძე შ., შრომები, ტ. 1, თბ., 1973; ყ ა უ ხ ჩ ი შ ვ ი ლ ი თ., საქართველოს ისტორიის ძველი ბერძნული წყაროები, თბ., 1976; ყაუხჩიშვილი ს., ბერძნული ლიტერატურის ისტორია, ტ. 3, თბ., 1973; წერეთელი ს., ნარკვევები ფილოსოფიის ისტორიაში, ტ. 2, თბ., 1986; Логика Аристотеля. Материалы всесоюзного симпозиума 16–17 ноября 1983 г., положения логики Аристотеля, წგ.: Аристотель, Соч., т. 2, М., 1978, с. 5–50.
G. Tevzadze
T. Kaukhchishvili
