Aristotle or Plato: A Comparative Analysis of Philosophical Beliefs

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This essay provides a comprehensive comparison of Aristotelian and Platonic philosophies, exploring their fundamental differences in epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics. The essay delves into the contrasting views of Aristotle, who emphasized empirical observation and the study of the natural world, and Plato, who focused on abstract ideas and the pursuit of eternal truths. The author examines various aspects of their philosophies, including their perspectives on human nature, knowledge, and the ideal society. The essay uses examples like preferences for dogs or cats, paying bills, and car choices to illustrate how individuals might align with either Aristotelian or Platonic viewpoints. Ultimately, the essay concludes by highlighting the enduring tension between these two influential philosophical perspectives and their lasting impact on Western thought, emphasizing the practical nature of Aristotelian thought and the introspective nature of Platonic thought.
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Aristotelian or a Platonist
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note
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Introduction
Every man was signified in Oxford to be born as an Aristotelian or a Platonist. It has been
seen that every individual whether man or women have two different classes which are next
to the impossible. Based on this literary scholar Samuel Coleridge wrote that if an individual
is either Aristotelian or Platonist among both of these.
In this context, there are several resources that have been published in print and in online that
will help an individual to deduce whether a man both is Platonist or an Aristotelian. It is the
presence of multiple modern systems that have blurred the ancient system due to the presence
of old tradition. The theory is underlying the habit and thinking style of an individual male
and female. It is not just the personal taste that determines Platonism and Aristoteles but the
individuals link with the cultural legacy left by the great philosophers. The truth that lies in
the statement of Coleridge are that is the enduring tensions present in between viewpoint and
the two thinkers that framed the world. The most important disparity in history is in the way
to visualise the world by which Aristotle viewed it and the way to live in which Plato referred
to.
Discussion
In the dialogues of Plato, he has always characterised his closest teacher named Socrates for
exploring the relationship between gods and human in order to accomplish the eternal truth
that benign Plato’s ideas and formation. On the contrary, Plato’s x students Aristotle, on the
other hand, preferred to study the paradigm, of the world that consisted of human nature
(Franklin 25). Therefore, he chose to write treatises on biology and human anatomy along
with logic that related to physics and science for which he was known as the founder of
science. It has been for over 2500 years Plato has spoken for theologies, poets and artiste who
had been highly influenced by the medieval Christianity. In contrast to this, Aristotle spoke
directly to the scientists that lived in the world of technology and the practical world
(Bonazzi et al. 195).
Therefore, it is evident from the fact of Aristotle’s belief that they are tough-minded, rational
and sceptical in their thoughts. However, they also manage to have sociable and dependable
friends that covered a large part of Aristotle’s’ ethical beliefs (Sharples et al. 44). On the
other hand, it has been seen that Platonists often tend to loners and are usually tender in their
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thoughts and are philanthropic in nature (Franklin 22). These kinds of people are often
determined by their causes and the other individual. In this context, an Aristotelian often asks
the way in which it works. A Platonist may ask the meaning of this. A Platonist may also
ask” what is your ambition?” to which an Aristotelian may reply “get up and smell the tea”.
This implies Aristotelians are more rational in their beliefs and practices in their thoughts
(Volgsten 2017).
However, in history, the disciples of Aristotle’s consist of Roman philosopher Cicero and
medieval theologise Peter Abelard and other figures such as Adam Smith and Machiavelli.
On the contrary, Plato’s disciples are Saint Augustine, Michelangelo, romantics Jean Roseau,
Galileo and Einstein (Bahrani 117).
These two great modern philosophises have been observed to be the polar opposites more like
north pole and south pole of a magnetised bar. It will answer that will help one individual to
find out whether the individual is platonic in belief or Aristotelian. If an individual prefers
dog he or she may be an Aristotelian (Pasini 325). Aristotle believed that human beings were
genuinely social animals that signified dogs. In this context, he described ethics in this as
well as friendship. He said that people who preferred friendship from good friends are the
truest friends. In certainty, no other man than dogs turns in to a Man’s best friend.
On the other hand, if an individual prefers cat they are supposed to be rated as Platonist. It is
determined by the relationship between the cat and the owners that are well known as
spiritual and intuitive in its form. However, in the case of dogs, one may argue that the
relationship between Rex and Rover was also spiritual. It is a well-known fact that Egyptians
used to worship cat almost before five thousand years ago due to the similar personality that
underlies the spiritual entity. It is something that every Platonist is genuinely attracted to
(Columbia 39).
Again in case of paying bills, one may prefer to pay their bills by check and the other may
prefer to pay it by a person. In this context, Aristotelians are often seen to be comfortable
with using updated technology and are more willing to seek to make their living in
convenient and effective ways (Waterfield 170). Therefore, an individual man or woman who
pays their bill through online method is the Aristotelians. Platonists on the contrary, often
tend to be mischievous of transformation specifically in the case of modern technology.
Specifically, a platonist tends to see the world as the best ones (Haldar 170). The individual
does not prefer to fix the materials unless it is almost broken whereas the Aristotelian pays
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the bills online saving time and difficulties. Platonist, on the other hand, takes this as an
invitation to theft of identity. Therefore, any individual who wishes to sit back and write their
monthly rentals by their hand is rated as Platonist.
As known as the founder of logic, Aristotelians prefer sequential systems and observe the
regular lists as the way to make clear priorities. Platonists seem to prefer their priorities and
they believe that till the time end that will be hoping for a big picture fall in the right place
(Te Velde 736). They often value the expected and spontaneous things rather than following
schedules. Therefore, if one individual does not follow any time schedules they fall under the
score of Platonists. Basketball and football are both built around the clocks. In physics,
Aristotle has as mentioned about the facts of motion and transformation as the outcome of the
clock in sports. Platonists, on the contrary, observed changes in a different way as an evitable
system of disruption and end. The fact that lies here are that the most essential things in the
world are often eternal and the time has nothing to add on it. Therefore, Platonists do not
really bother about a baseball game that goes on an entire day. Unlike Aristotelians they do
not take any pressure of time, Aristotelian prefers car racing as it is associated with
technology over the first over the line of competitiveness (Tugby 1150).
However, when an individual is asked whether one wants to be the rock star and a movie star,
Aristotelians are seen to be visual. In this context, Aristotle’s poetics have exceptionally
illustrated the necessity of theatre and drama to signify all the work of arts (McConnell 188).
For Aristotelians, all the work of the artist are a mere illusion and driven by the spectator.
Plato, on the contrary, observed the core importance of melody towards human being like an
expression of eternity in life. In the Republic, Aristotle has even termed various kinds of
music for the different status of the society. Therefore, if an individual preferred to become a
rock star that individual will be known as Platonist. To the contrary, if the individual prefers
to be a movie star that individual scores to be an Aristotelian (Skidmore-Hess et al. 19).
Apart from this Aristotelians often prefers to choose a sequential process with a little number
of surprises. Therefore, if the individual studies directions before time, that individual will be
known as Aristotelian. But if one prefers to help others find their direction that is unnecessary
they will be known as Platonist. Environmentalism is a huge issue for current Platonist
personality (Cooper 122). Therefore, if an individual prefers to drive a car that reduces the
emission of greenhouse gas and reliability on fossil fuels one can score as Platonist. On the
contrary, if one wants to have a pickup and is less interested in the environment or the
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individual has a car that fulfils his needs is Aristotelian. In this case, their obligations run
towards relationships and family belongings. This is because Aristotelians stay stacked
towards ethics in maintaining relationships.
Again if a man or a woman has a Jesus' fist fixed to the car they are more likely to be score
as Platonist. It is a well-known fact that Christianity is the traditional home of Platonist
spirituality and ethical beliefs of doctrines. In support of this belief if one owns Darwin’s fish
they are more likely to be Aristotelian. As stated by (Mouzala 123), Darwin’s theory of
origination is the integration of Aristoteles viewpoint of biology and science that signified a
strong sense of materialism and offered a challenge towards Plato’s ideas of man. Plato’s
beliefs showed that man is a representation of spiritual absolutism like Darwin's fish.
Moreover, voting and election are crucial for Aristotelian thoughts of politics and self-
governance that is usually based on the principle of the ruling. Plato in this issue contrasted
that thought as he was deeply doubtful about the ideas of normal politics of democracy
specifically in the home country of Athens. He had preconceived belief that politicians were
mostly interested in creating their own nests and they usually spent their valuable time
diverting the voters from that was essential for the cultivation of respect and virtue
(McConnell 188). Therefore, it is evident that if the individual believes that voting is a civic
duty, irrespective of the one that is running the election has a belief that all the propaganda
are counted as a vote. Therefore true believers of value within a normal process of democracy
are usually Aristotelian.
On the contrary, most of the political candidates and people who have special interest those
that think that vote will not change anything or the system. Then these kinds of people are
modern Platonist. Again while eating Pizza if one eats the crust of bread then the individual is
a believer of Aristotle. This implies that the individual has successfully learned the science of
delayed gratification and those prefer the process of value. On the contrary, if an individual
prefers to eat the tip they belong to the group of Platonist (Tugby 1152). This is because
Platonist is well aware of the fact that it is essential to be spontaneous and they enjoy the
normal pleasures of liveliness without worrying about the future. However, Plato was not a
hedonist; rather they can also act as a thinker to set philosophical conversation at the wine
bar.
Conclusion
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Therefore, it can be concluded that Aristotelians are a practical individual just like the
necessary building blocks of the society as well as cultural beliefs. Plato, on the other hand, is
more apprehensive towards the kind of inside enlightenment and sense of serenity that Plato
wanted for all their disciplines. However, Aristotle has always contrasted with Plato’s beliefs
about pragmatic poetry. Plato's thoughts of dual reality into a world of ideas and the world of
senses have created a disparity between two different worlds. In this context, the world of
ideas has eternal patterns of thoughts that consist of spiritual and abstract in their form and
the world is believed to be the replication of it. The poet Aristotle has always believed in the
appearance of imitation in front of him.
Aristotle does not visualise imitation as a part of the impairment that Plato objected to poetry
to be irrational and insufficient. Aristoteles always believed in the representation of superior
emotion that is necessary for the individual offering opportunity for the purifying secretion of
unhealthy feelings rather than demotivating their growth. In this context, it will noteworthy to
say that the outcome was seen in the case of an inherent flaw of the tragic hero viewers
relatively less likeable to take such action of effort in an act of pride. Therefore, it can be said
that Aristotle is more inclined towards a concrete belief that is more practical in the
application of reality. On the other hand, Plato is more diverted towards the belief of abstract
and intellectual honouring of real life happenings. Plato, therefore, is a believer of firm
morality who thinks that imitation has the ability to perpetuate the immoral behaviour. He
thinks that imitation may take people away from the truth that may exploit the society.
Therefore, it will be easier to deduce that every man and women have a part of Aristotle and
Plato in them that prefers to dream and the other prefers to think rationally.
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