Plato Vs Aristotle Vs Plato - 1814 Words

Plato and Aristotle had a considerable amount of differences in ideology given that Aristotle was Plato’s student for roughly two decades. Plato, a student of Socrates, opposed the idea of average citizens to participate in politics because he believed that political practice was skill or â€Å"technÄ“ that can only be achieved by a few people. He believed that â€Å"kings must be those among them who have proved best both in philosophy and where war is concerned.† (Republic, 491) and that these â€Å"philosopher kings† were the only people fit to rule a government, or the government would be doomed to fail. Aristotle is highly critical of Plato and his ideal constitution but he does find a similar form of ruling class to be ideal. He believes, in the†¦show more content†¦They hold the job of protecting the city and well as making all of the diplomatic decisions. They cannot bother themselves with wordy possessions, like property or family and must l ive in communes with the other guardians. The idea is for the guardians to only find importance in leading and protecting the city and not with their personal lives. To be apart of the guardian class, one must participate in extraneous education, physical activity and must be virtuous and brave. The guardians in the just city are what are considered â€Å"philosopher kings†. In book 5 of Republic, the ideology of a philosopher king is expanded upon: â€Å"Until philosophers rule as kings in their cities, or those who are nowadays called kings and leading men become genuine and adequate philosophers so that political power and philosophy become throughly blended together, while the numerous natures that now pursue either one exclusively are compelled not to do so, cities will have no rest from evils..nor..the human race.† (Republic, 425) Additionally, Socrates provides the Allegory of the Cave, an allegory that represents that philosophers struggle to convince the average person of the true forms. Plato believes that the average population is to ignorant to govern themselves. Which bring Plato to the argument that people have to be pre-destined to be apart of this ruling class, and not anyone can just become a philosopher king; stating â€Å"someoneShow MoreRelatedPlato vs. Aristotle2421 Words   |  10 PagesBy Gerard Chretien Plato vs. Aristotle 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 theoreticalRead MorePlato vs. Aristotle1952 Words   |  8 PagesPlato vs. Aristotle Plato and Aristotle, two philosophers in the 4th century, hold polar views on politics and philosophy in general. This fact is very cleverly illustrated by Raphaels School of Athens (1510-11; Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican), where Plato is portrayed looking up to the higher forms; and Aristotle is pointing down because he supports the natural sciences. In a discussion of politics, the stand point of each philosopher becomes an essential factor. It is not coincidentalRead More Aristotle vs. Plato Essay1408 Words   |  6 PagesAristotle vs. Plato Excellence is a function which renders excellent the thing of which it is a function is Plato’s definition of virtue. What does this definition really mean though? Plato and Aristotle both had their own unique arguments devoted to the topic at hand, and their own ways of describing what virtue really is. Defining virtue may seem to be an easy taste, but to truly understand the arguments behind the definition can prove to be very challenging.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before discussing virtueRead MorePlato Vs Aristotle : Determining Good1668 Words   |  7 Pages Plato vs. Aristotle: Determining Good In this paper, I will present both Plato and Aristotle’s arguments for what their personal views are on determining good. Plato believed that knowing good was equal to doing good. He said that if a person knows the right thing that will automatically lead him to do the right thing. Aristotle on the other hand believed that knowing good was not enough to be good. He believed that one had to practice good if one is to be good. Plato was idealistic. He believedRead MorePlato vs. Aristotle: Virtue1656 Words   |  7 Pages201 November 12, 2013 Anna Umstead Plato and Aristotle, arguably two of the most influential Greek philosophers, discussed their differing views on virtue extensively throughout many of their works. Although they agree that virtue is a desirable characteristic that will lead to happiness, the ultimate good, there exists between the two philosophies salient differences. While Plato believes only philosophers are capable of true, inherent virtue, Aristotle believes all men can be virtuous with practiceRead More Plato vs Aristotle Essay1835 Words   |  8 PagesFirst 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 v ery contradicting. Even though Plato and Aristotle came from theRead MoreViolence in the Arts Ââ€" Plato vs. Aristotle Essay1285 Words   |  6 PagesViolence in The Arts Ââ€" Plato vs. Aristotle Nowadays, it is hard to turn on a television program, catch a movie or buy your younger sibling a video game without encountering a warning for extreme violence. Everyday, our lives are exposed to violence on the screen, whether it is in the latest Sopranos episode or even watching the six oclock news. For quite a while now, people have been demanding that stricter censorship be placed on the media, especially those programs and video games that canRead MoreEssay about Aristotle vs Plato1665 Words   |  7 Pages Aristotle is considered by many to be one of the most influential philosophers in history. As a student of Plato, he built on his mentor’s metaphysical teachings of things like The Theory of Forms and his views on the soul. However, he also challenged them, introducing his own metaphysical ideas such as act and potency, hylemorphism, and the four causes. He used these ideas to explain his account of the soul and the immateriality of intellect. Prior to Aristotle, philosophers likeRead More Plato Vs. Aristotle on Art Essay1997 Words   |  8 Pagesthe next generation. Plato, a Greek philosopher who lived during 420-348 B.C. in Athens, and Aristotle, Plato’s student who argued against his beliefs, have no exceptions to the steps they had to take in order to understand the purpose of art and artists. Though these two philosophers made marvelous discoveries about the existence of art, artists, and aesthetic experience, Plato has made his works more controversial than Aristotle. During the ancient times in Greece, Plato was the first human toRead MoreJustice: Plato vs. Aristotle Essay1024 Words   |  5 PagesPlato and Aristotle, arguably the most important philosophers of their time, both made attempts to define justice. Being that Aristotle was a student of Plato, their ideas share many similarities. Both viewed justice as the harmonious interaction of people in a society. However, Plato defined his ideal of justice with more usage of metaphysics, invoking his Form of the Good, while Aristotle took a more practical approach, speaking in terms of money and balance. Although Aristotles ideal of justice