In the beginning was Socrates and his disciple Plato, who explored and explained ideas in Athens. Plato’s insight was to apply logic to human nature, opening up the world of thought and mental models.
Aristotle, Plato’s rival, agreed that rational thought was the identifying mark of humans, but added that the life of the mind was the point of being a rational human and part of a purposeful Universe. The goal was eudaemonia – living well – a fitness for purpose which embraced both ethical and mechanistic qualities. His notion that nature was understandable by diligent enquiry, by observation and reflection, proved hugely influential and shaped philosophy for hundreds of years. You can finds texts in Greek and English at .
