Xenocrates was a Greek philosopher and a prominent member of Plato's Academy. After Plato died in 348/347 BCE, Aristotle and Xenocrates left Athens together. They traveled to Assos in Asia Minor, where they were hosted by Hermeias, the ruler of Atarneus. Xenocrates eventually returned to Athens to lead the Academy, while Aristotle continued his philosophical and scientific inquiries elsewhere.

Aristotle earned the title 'Father of Political Science' primarily due to his systematic, empirical approach to studying politics. In his work 'Politics', he analyzed and classified 158 different Greek constitutions. This method of comparative analysis and categorization laid the groundwork for the scientific study of government, moving beyond purely normative or idealistic theories to examine how political systems actually function in practice.

Aristotle argued that while the state begins as a necessity for survival (life), its true purpose is to facilitate the 'good life' (eudaimonia). This means the state exists to enable citizens to live virtuously and achieve their full potential, moving beyond mere biological existence to a life of moral and intellectual fulfillment within a community.

In 'De Anima', Aristotle classifies the soul into three hierarchical levels: the vegetative (nutritive), the animal (sensitive/locomotive), and the rational. The 'subconscious' is a modern psychological concept and does not appear in Aristotle's classical taxonomy of the soul, which focuses on the functional capacities of living beings.

In his work 'Politics', Aristotle conducted a rigorous critique of various political thinkers and their proposed ideal states. He analyzed the theories of Phaleas of Chalcedon, Hippodamus of Miletus, and his own teacher, Plato, to evaluate the practical viability and theoretical soundness of their respective models of governance.

Aristotle studied at the Academy in Athens under the tutelage of Plato for approximately twenty years. This intellectual relationship was formative for Aristotle, though he later diverged from Plato's idealism to develop his own empirical and systematic philosophy. The lineage from Socrates to Plato to Aristotle represents the core of classical Greek philosophical tradition, profoundly influencing Western political and scientific thought.

Aristotle, in his work 'Politics', analyzed various constitutions and proposed the 'anacyclosis' theory. He argued that governments naturally evolve in a cyclical pattern, transitioning from monarchy to tyranny, aristocracy to oligarchy, and polity to democracy, eventually repeating the cycle as each form decays into its perverted counterpart.

In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle distinguishes between 'universal' or 'general' justice, which relates to virtue as a whole, and 'particular' justice. Within particular justice, he further divides it into distributive and rectificatory justice. The provided answer 'political justice' is often discussed by Aristotle as a subset of justice applicable to the state, though it is a distinct classification in his broader framework.

George H. Sabine, in his seminal work 'A History of Political Theory', argued that Aristotle's political framework, particularly his analysis of the 'polity' or constitutional government, serves as a pragmatic alternative to the highly idealistic and utopian vision presented by Plato in 'The Republic'. Sabine suggests that Aristotle sought to ground political theory in empirical reality, making his 'best practicable state' a more attainable version of Plato's ideal.

Aristotle posits that virtue is not innate but is acquired through habituation. By repeatedly performing virtuous acts, an individual develops a stable character trait or disposition. Through consistent practice and the guidance of reason, one eventually internalizes these behaviors, making virtuous action a natural and habitual part of their life.