Aristotle vs. Plato Essay

who possess knowledge of the good should be the governors in a city state. His

For Socrates, an adequate definition will reveal the common quality that belongs to both all and only; and necessarily and sufficiently, instances of the virtue that is being defined. In Euthyphro, Socrates addresses these definitional issues by criticizing the paradox presented in the dialogue as follows: “And so Euthyphro, when you’re asked what the pious is, it looks as though you don’t want to reveal its being to me, but rather to tell me one of its affections—that this happens to the pious, that its loved by all the gods” (Euthyphro 11a). The term ‘being’ here I will interpret as essence, the more commonly utilized semantic in translations of Plato (Ross 2006). An appropriate

In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle define happiness as the ‘highest good’. Aristotle states that everyone agrees that this highest good is happiness, but often disagree about what happiness really is. Many would believe that happiness is gained from material possessions, wealth or high social status, but Aristotle states that this is not the highest good. Aristotle believed that to obtain happiness, we must have virtue. Virtue is defined as a state of being and acting in the correct manner with high moral standards, neither acting in

We have two great philosophers, Plato and Aristotle. These are great men, whose ideas have not been forgotten over years. Although their thoughts of politics were similar, we find some discrepancies in their teachings. The ideas stem from Socrates to Plato to Aristotle. Plato based moral knowledge on abstract reason, while Aristotle grounded it on experience and tried to apply it more to concrete living. Both ways of life are well respected by many people today.

Plato's point of view is different from many other peoples. He says that people do wrong not because they are inherently evil, but because they are unclear about what is best for them. While the good truly is good, the pleasant do not know good and therefore have the incorrect belief of good. He is saying someone who is good knows what good is and those who do not do good do not know good itself.

ABSTRACT: This paper argues that Aristotle conceives happiness not primarily as an exercise of virtue in private or with friends, but as the exercise of virtue in governing an ideal state. The best states are knit together so tightly that the interests of one person are the same as the interests of all. Hence, a person who acts for his or her own good must also act for the good of all fellow citizens. It follows that discussions of Aristotle’s altruism and egoism are misconceived.

Aristotle's distinguished predecessors, Socrates and Plato, can be traced back to the beginnings of virtue ethics. Socrates intellectually challenged the people who followed him by constantly asking them questions in a way that forced them to come to their own conclusions. His way of thinking and corresponding had later developed into something we know as the Socratic Method. He believed that who knows what is right will act accordingly. Later on, Aristotle had skewed this view a bit by claiming that intellectual virtue and moral virtue are distinct attributes. Socrates is still one of the most significant figures in history. Plato, on the other hand, was one of Socrates famous student; he was the one who founded the economy in Athens. There

In my final project, I will discuss the difference between Plato and Aristotle, and the two different ideas they both sought highly to philosophize. Plato, well known for his theory on Forms, believed that all things have a true being, and that the world in which we live in is a poor representation of the real world. Aristotle, on the other hand, was well known for his ideas on Form and Matter, where he believed that all objects are made with certain materials and arranged in a particular way. Lastly, for my current events, I will discuss deals with the recent deaths of young black men in America and how it all ties back to the ideas of Plato and Aristotle.

Aristotle lists honor, pleasure, and wealth as the things believed to make humans happy. He believed that because honor could be easily taken away it was superficial and that pleasure, although enjoyable, was merely an “animal like quality”. Wealth was described as a vehicle to achieve greater status. The moderation of the three vices could be achieved but would not, in-itself produce or guarantee eudaimonia. Instead, Aristotle was of the opinion that wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice, would better lead person to happiness.

Numerous experts in modern time regard Plato as the first genuine political philosopher and Aristotle as the first political scientist. They were both great thinkers in regards to, in part with Socrates, being the foundation of the great western philosophers. Plato and Aristotle each had ideas in how to proceed with improving the society in which they were part of during their existence. It is necessary therefore to analyze their different theoretical approaches regarding their philosophical perspectives, such as ethics and psychology. This paper however will mainly concentrate on Aristotle's views on friendship and how it impacts today's society.

In ancient Greece two great written philosophers lived. First there was Plato and then Aristotle. Aristotle was a pupil of Plato. Despite being taught by Plato they had different theories and views. Their ethics were very typical and traditional of ancient Greece but Aristotle detailed virtue ethics and the path to happiness. Plato’s political theories for a utopian society varied from Aristotle’s view of ‘best state for each society’. Their metaphysical theories are complete opposites and very contradicting. Even though Plato and Aristotle came from the same era and were closely linked they had very different philosophies.

Virtue, he argues, comes along with choice and habit, meaning that as we make the right decisions in life, they become habit and thus we do not have to think about what is right and what choice to make. We also must gain reason which requires external goods that ensures action. Aristotle describes some of these goods to show how they affect our happiness: “we use friends and riches and political power as instruments; and there are some things the lack of which takes the lustre from happiness, as good birth, goodly children, beauty; for the man who is very ugly in appearance or ill-born or solitary and childless is not very likely to be happy” (Book 1 Sec 8). Because these goods force us into action they create the capability to gain reason and thus virtue.

Aristotle’s theory will be discussed in full length on his theory of virtue. Now Aristotle did believe in a multitude of theories that are all based off of virtue, but also the soul. To Aristotle, virtue is an excellence, which comes after happiness and achieving our final goal. When Aristotle talks about an individual’s final goal and excellence of that

Even though Aristotle was taught by Plato and admired his philosophical work, they both approached topics differently. Plato emphasizes the world of idea and knowledge. He observed four things; the physical world was constantly in a state of change and motion, planets moving eternally, and change or motion is always caused by something.

This idea of goodness and virtue goes anything beyond worldly values and ideals. "A good man cannot be harmed either in life or in death"(41d), says Socrates further explaining that no matter what, "a better man [cannot] be harmed by a worse"(30d). Having virtue gives you a certain happiness that is well beyond life or death or worldly values and goods.