ARISTOTELIAN

, something that relates to the philosopher Aristotle. Thus we say, an Aristotelian dogma, the Aristotelian school, &c.

Aristotelian Philosophy, the philosophy taught by Aristotle, and maintained by his followers. It is otherwise called the peripatetic philosophy, from their practice of teaching while they were walking.—The principles of Aristotle's philosophy, the learned agree, are chiefly laid down in the four books de Cælo. Instead of the more ancient systems, he introduced matter, form, and privation, as the principles of all things; but it does not seem that he derived much benefit from them in natural philosophy. And his doctrines are, for the most part, so obscurely expressed, that it has not yet been satisfactorily ascertained, what were his sentiments on some of the most important subjects. He attempted to refute the Pythagorean doctrine concerning the two-fold motion of the earth; and pretended to demonstrate, that the matter of the heavens is ungenerated, incorruptible, and not subject to any alteration: and he supposed that the stars were carried round the earth in solid orbs.