Aristippus 435 BC – 356 BC
Aristippus (435 BC – 356 BC) was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era, associated with Hellenistic and Ancient Greek Philosophy.
Aristippus of Cyrene was a Greek philosopher and the founder of the Cyrenaic school. A pupil of Socrates who reacted in a very different direction from Plato, he held that the goal of life is the immediate pleasure of the present moment and that all knowledge derives from inner sensations rather than from anything beyond them. He spent much of his career at the court of Dionysius of Syracuse and was famous for an ironic detachment from circumstance, taking pleasure when available and accepting hardship when it came. His school, carried on by his daughter Arete and grandson Aristippus the Younger, anticipated themes later developed by Epicurus.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Greek
- Era
- Ancient
- Movements
- Hellenistic, Ancient Greek Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Aristippus:
“It is not abstinence from pleasures that is best, but mastery over them without being worsted.”
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Attributed to Aristippus:
“I possess, but I am not possessed.”
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Attributed to Aristippus:
“Better to be a beggar than ignorant.”
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Attributed to Aristippus:
“Time present is the only thing we possess.”
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Attributed to Aristippus:
“The wise man would not seek pleasure if it were always followed by pain.”
Aristippus by topic
Frequently asked about Aristippus
- When did Aristippus live?
- Aristippus was born in 435 BC and died in 356 BC.
- Where was Aristippus from?
- Aristippus was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era.
- What philosophical movements is Aristippus associated with?
- Aristippus was associated with Hellenistic and Ancient Greek Philosophy.
- What was Aristippus known for?
- Aristippus of Cyrene was a Greek philosopher and the founder of the Cyrenaic school.
- How many quotes are attributed to Aristippus?
- There are 5 attributed quotations from Aristippus in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.