A philosophy originated by the Greek thinker Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

He stressed that virtue was a mean or middle way between the opposing extremes.

He classified everything in a “Ladder of nature”. The inanimate matter was at the bottom of the ladder and man was placed at the top of the ladder.

Aristotle tried to use logic to build a diagram of living things, but he realised that living things could not be so easily apportioned.

Instead, he constructed a “ladder of nature” or “scale of perfection,” which began with humans at one end and proceeded through animals and plants to minerals at the other end.

Aristotle ranked these groups on a scale based on the four classical elements: fire, water, earth, and air.