Aristotle

Poetry is something more philosophic and of graver import than history since its statements are of nature of universals, whereas those of history are of singulars.

Tragedy is an imitation of a whole, and complete action of some amplitude... Now a whole is that which has a beginning, a middle and an end.

Man is by nature a political animal.

It is in justice that the ordering of society is centered.

The arousing of prejudice, pity, anger and similar emotions, has nothing to do with the essential facts, but is merely a personal appeal to the man who is judging the case.

The mass of mankind are evidently slavish in their tastes, preferring a life suitable to beasts.

The moral virtues then are produced in us neither by nature nor against nature. Nature indeed prepares in us the ground for their reception, but their complete formation is the product of habit.

Poetry is more philosophical and of higher value than history.

Probable impossibilities are to be preferred to improbable possibilities.

A tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious and also as having magnitude complete in itself . . . with incidents arousing pity and terror with which to accomplish its purgation of these emotions.

One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it you have no certainty until you try.

He who hath many friends hath none.

After breaking up of the husk the creature issues out, leaving a little moisture behind, and after a short interval flies up into the air and sets a chirping.

Every action must be due to one or other of seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reasoning, anger, or appetite.

Some men are just as firmly convinced of what they think, as others of what they know.

It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen.

Of mankind in general the parts are greater than the whole

Plausible impossibilities should be preferred to unconvincing possibilities

The man who gets angry at the right things and with the right people and in the right way and at the right time and for the right length of time is commended.

It is unbecoming for young men to utter maxims.