Laozi vs. Aristotle

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Abid Ali Professor Peterson WOH 2001 August 10, 2012 Laozi vs. Aristotle Laozi and Aristotle are among the greatest philosophers the world has ever seen. An outstanding researcher and writer, Aristotle provided this world with great body of work, numbering to as many as two hundred treatises. His work ranges from logic, metaphysics and philosophy to empirical biology where he made a significant contribution to marine biology. Laozi, as the name meaning suggests “old master” was an extraordinary thinker and is credited as the founder of philosophical Taoism. LAOZI IS A BELIEVER OF NON-ACTIONG AND LETTING NATURE BE, WHILE ARISTOTLE FOUND THE NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND EXPLAIN THE HAPPENINGS AROUND THE WORLD THROUGH SCIENCE AND LOGIC IN ORDER TO MAKE PROGRESS AND CONTROL THE WORLD. This paper will differentiate between the two great philosophers in their chronology, geography, social class and believes. The most reliable biography of the life of Laozi is found in Shiji (records of the grand historian) by the Han dynasty historian Sima Qian. Laozi was born in Chau, a southern state of Zhou dynasty and present day central and southern China in 604 B.C. Historically the rulers of Chu were given the noble rank of Zi, however, this practice was changed in early 8 B.C.E. Danyang, the capital of the Chu state for more than four hundred years was located between he two rivers, as a matter of fact the state of Chu itself was located by Yellow sea. On the other hand Aristotle was born in 384 B.C. in northeastern Greece city of Stagira. Aristotle was sent to Athens at the age of seventeen to study in Plato’s Academy. The city of Stagira is located close to the town of Olympiada, and approximately eight kilometers from the modern day village of Stagira. Both the philosophers belonged to different geographical locations and were born in the different time periods. One
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