Aristo of Chios c. 320 BC – c. 250 BC
Aristo of Chios (c. 320 BC – c. 250 BC) was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era, associated with Stoicism, Hellenistic, and Ancient Greek Philosophy.
Aristo of Chios was a Greek Stoic philosopher and pupil of Zeno of Citium who broke with his master on several important doctrines and led an austere variant of early Stoicism. Where Zeno held that there are preferred and dispreferred indifferents that the wise man may rationally pursue or avoid, Aristo argued that everything between virtue and vice is strictly indifferent, and that physics and logic are useless to the genuine moral life. His powerful rhetorical gifts, his uncompromising ethical rigorism, and his quarrels with Zeno's other pupils made him a leader of the Stoic school in his own right; the survival of his views through Sextus Empiricus and Seneca shows their long influence on Stoic and Cynic-leaning thought.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Greek
- Era
- Ancient
- Movements
- Stoicism, Hellenistic, Ancient Greek Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Aristo of Chios:
“Between virtue and vice nothing is preferred; the indifferent is genuinely indifferent.”
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Attributed to Aristo of Chios:
“The wise man requires no physics; what should be done in any situation is the only true science.”
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Attributed to Aristo of Chios:
“The argumentative philosopher is a runner who never leaves the starting line.”
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Attributed to Aristo of Chios:
“Health and illness are nothing in themselves; they are occasions for the exercise of virtue or vice.”
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Attributed to Aristo of Chios:
“Logic without ethics is a sword in a child's hand.”
Frequently asked about Aristo of Chios
- When did Aristo of Chios live?
- Aristo of Chios was born in c. 320 BC and died in c. 250 BC.
- Where was Aristo of Chios from?
- Aristo of Chios was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era.
- What philosophical movements is Aristo of Chios associated with?
- Aristo of Chios was associated with Stoicism, Hellenistic, and Ancient Greek Philosophy.
- What was Aristo of Chios known for?
- Aristo of Chios was a Greek Stoic philosopher and pupil of Zeno of Citium who broke with his master on several important doctrines and led an austere variant of early Stoicism.
- How many quotes are attributed to Aristo of Chios?
- There are 9 attributed quotations from Aristo of Chios in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.