How did Aristotle become more influential than Plato in the 12th and 13th centuries?

The rise of Aristotle’s influence over Plato in the 12th and 13th centuries was primarily driven by the large-scale recovery and translation of his "esoteric" works into Latin. Before this period, Western knowledge of Aristotle was largely limited to a few logical texts, while Platonic thought—often filtered through Augustine and other Christian thinkers—remained dominant.12

The shift occurred through several key developments:

• Systematic Translation: Beginning around 1150, scholars like James of Venice and later William of Moerbeke translated the bulk of the Aristotelian corpus from Greek, providing the West with access to his physics, metaphysics, and ethics. Additional texts were translated from Arabic sources.1
• Academic Integration: Despite initial ecclesiastical resistance at the University of Paris, Aristotle’s works became a foundational requirement in the Master of Arts curriculum by the mid-13th century.3
• Scholastic Synthesis: Thinkers like Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas integrated Aristotelian philosophy into Christian theology, treating him as a primary authority on natural knowledge and logic.3

It is important to note that this transition did not represent a total displacement of Plato; medieval thought remained a complex blend where Aristotelian frameworks were often interpreted through existing Neoplatonic and Augustinian traditions.2