(384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He was the founder of the Lyceum, the Peripatetic school of philosophy, and the Aristotelian tradition. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology. Aristotle was one of the most influential figures in Western philosophy and science, and he shaped much of Western thought.