Aristole (384-322 B.C.E) was a philosopher, scientist, and educator. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential thinkers in Western civilization. He was born in stagira in northern greece and at age eighteen years entered plato's academy, where he remained for nearly two decades until the death of plato. for a time he traveled, and for four years he was the tutor of the prince alexander, who later became "the great." about 334 B.C.E., aristotle returned to athens and founded his own school, the lyceum. he summarized and developed the knowledge of his day and enriched it by his own investigations and critical thinking.