A Comparative Analysis: Plato and Aristotle on Motion and the World

This essay provides a comparative analysis of the philosophical views of Plato and Aristotle on the theory of motion and the nature of the world. The introduction sets the stage by highlighting the significance of understanding universal laws and concepts of motion in the field of humanities. The paper then delves into Plato's perspective, drawing upon his work "Timaeus" to explain his view of the universe as a product of a rational, beneficent, and purposive agency, emphasizing the importance of circular motion. Following this, the essay explores Aristotle's views, referencing his book "On the Heavens," where he posits that the universe consists of the five elements and is eternal in nature, with circular motion being primary. The core of the essay lies in comparing and contrasting the two philosophers' ideas, highlighting Plato's emphasis on intellectual ability and rationality, and Aristotle's focus on the five elements. The conclusion synthesizes these contrasting viewpoints, emphasizing their shared inspiration from the material world and their distinct philosophical approaches to understanding the universe and the concept of motion.

Running head: PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF THE WORLD
Philosophical views of the world
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF THE WORLD
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Plato’s view of the world and the theory of motion........................................................................2
Aristotle’s view of the world and the theory of motion...................................................................3
Comparison and contrast between the views of Plato and Aristotle on the issue of motion...........3
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................4
References:......................................................................................................................................5

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Introduction
The world has been looked through from a variety of lenses by the various scholars of the
humanities field. Each have attempted to understand the prevailing universal laws and how they
have aided the human civilization in the path to progress. They have used certain concepts of
motion to account for order and variety in the natural world. To this extent, the purpose of this
paper is to understand the views advocated by Aristotle and that of Plato in order to examine the
notion of the world.
Plato’s view of the world and the theory of motion
The theory of motion represents an important field of study within the philosophical field.
It is concerned with the issues of epistemology and that of ontology in order to understand the
world and the way it is perceived and how it occurs1. This philosophy of motion is considered to
be important for the study of the various theories of change occurring in the surrounding
environment.
For Plato, the article of “Timaeus” sought to understand his view of the world and the
concept of motion. Plato underlines that the evident planetary motions can be seen from the point
of view of circular motion2. Within this dialogue, Plato has tried to present an elaborate view of
how the universe is formed and explains about its beauty and order. He states that the universe is
a product of the rational, beneficent and purposive agency. To this extent, he has opined that the
orderliness of the world is not only the manifestation of the intellect of the individuals but it is
also a model for the various rational souls of the society to emulate it and understand it.
1 Cornford, Francis MacDonald. Plato's cosmology: the Timaeus of Plato. Routledge, 2014.
2 Plato, Plato. Timaeus. BoD–Books on Demand, 2019.

3PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF THE WORLD
Aristotle’s view of the world and the theory of motion
Aristotle, the disciple of Plato, has also tried to understand natural philosophy. To this
extent, he had written four important treatises on the issue of the universe and its motions.
Among the four books, one of the most notable book is that of “On the Heavens”3. Within this
book, Aristotle has stated that the book deals with the question related to that of the universe.
The picture developed by Aristotle placed Earth in between two spheres. The outer sphere
envisioned contained the little stars and between the stars and the Earth, the planets were located.
To this extent, he argued that the circular motion of the planets is primary. However, since
circular motion was not primary for the four bodes such as that of water, air, earth and fire, he
postulated the existence of a fifth element. He termed thus as aether and opined that this is what
led to the formation of the heavens4. In the remainder of his treatise, Aristotle talked about the
other forms of motions such as that of lightness and weight. The main objective of Aristotle was
to argue that that the universe is eternal in nature. It does not have a specific beginning or that of
a specific end. However, it is spatially finite in nature.
Comparison and contrast between the views of Plato and Aristotle on the issue
of motion
Plato and Aristotle had a differing notion about the idea of the universe and the way order
is maintained within the natural world. One of the common points of discussion between them is
that the planetary bodies are seen to be moving in a circular motion. However, an important
difference existed between them. Plato harped on the idea of intellectual ability of the individuals
3 Blyth, Dougal. "Heavenly Soul in Aristotle." Apeiron 48, no. 4 (2015): 427-465
4 Philoponus: Against Aristotle on the Eternity of the World. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014.

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and their capability to rationalize5. According to him, it were these two features that inspired the
means of orderliness within the universe. One the other hand, for Aristotle, the universe was the
product of the five elements of water, air, fire, earth and that of aether6. This ensured that the
universe is a finite body with no specific beginning or end in sight.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be observed that both Plato and Aristotle had certain distinct idea
about the world and the theory of motion. Both of them derived their inspiration from the
material world and the physical concept of the universe. However, they tried to define the
concepts from a philosophical point of view. For Plato, the orderliness of the universe was a
result of the intellectual and rationality of the human beings while Aristotle stated that the
universe is eternal in nature.
5 Dillon, John. "The riddle of the Timaeus: is Plato sowing clues?." In Studies in Plato and the Platonic Tradition,
pp. 43-60. Routledge, 2017.
6 Simplicius: On Aristotle On the Heavens 2.1-9. A&C Black, 2014.

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References:
Blyth, Dougal. "Heavenly Soul in Aristotle." Apeiron 48, no. 4 (2015): 427-465.
Cornford, Francis MacDonald. Plato's cosmology: the Timaeus of Plato. Routledge, 2014.
Dillon, John. "The riddle of the Timaeus: is Plato sowing clues?." In Studies in Plato and the
Platonic Tradition, pp. 43-60. Routledge, 2017.
Philoponus: Against Aristotle on the Eternity of the World. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014.
Plato, Plato. Timaeus. BoD–Books on Demand, 2019.
Simplicius: On Aristotle On the Heavens 2.1-9. A&C Black, 2014.