Final answer:
Aristotle was a student of Plato's and later established his own school, the Lyceum. Although he learned from Plato, Aristotle formed many of his own philosophical doctrines, thereby making his own distinctive mark on history and Western philosophy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The relationship between Plato and Aristotle is that Aristotle was a student of Plato's. Plato, an eminent philosopher, established a school at the Academy near Athens, where he taught many students, including Aristotle, who would go on to become one of history's most influential philosophers. Despite being a student of Plato, Aristotle eventually founded his own institution of learning, the Lyceum, after Plato's death and developed many ideas that were different from his teacher's. While Plato focused on the transcendental world of forms, Aristotle emphasized the importance of the material world and the potential to gain knowledge through the senses and reason.
Aristotle's contribution to philosophy and various branches of science was significant, as he covered areas like logic, metaphysics, and ethics, as well as subjects that would evolve into modern sciences such as biology and physics. The intellectual lineage connecting Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Alexander the Great is one of the most remarkable in history, with each individual tremendously impacting Greek civilization and Western thought.