To many historians and scientists, Aristotle was an obstacle to scientific progress because his works were deemed so complete that no one challenged them. Plato was a Greek philosopher born in Athens in 427BC to an aristocratic family. 1. Another important Greek state was the National Socialist state Sparta. how many rulers there are, Plato and Aristotle (Introduction to Greek Philosophy), Aristotle’s vice is a deficiency or excess of virtue, Machiavelli, the father of modern political science, Greek Thought- Aristotle & Plato | Science Full Documentary, The Ancient Greek Sophists (Greek Philosophy), Alexander the Great and the Situation … the Great? The excellent regimes, as Aristotle claims, are the ones where residents have the capacity and yearning to follow their own preferences, which is achieved by offering the majority the capability to rule. Print. The variation of the views of Plato and Aristotle concerning the nature of people and the city determines their political perspectives and the “most excellent” regime. This government was in a position to have a constitution and impose authority subjecting everyone to the law. Aristotle believed that wisdom was virtuous, but that achieving virtue was neither automatic nor did it grant any unification (acquiring) of other virtues. Aristotle, on the other hand, wrote much more practical advice. In particular, the Rulers understand not only the good of the state but, necessarily, the Good itself, the result of years of rigorous training to prepare them for their leadership role. Oxford: Oxford World’s Classics, 2008. Plato uses the allegory to describe how philosophy liberates an individual. Most of these works are written in the form of dialogues, using the Socratic Method (asking questions to explore concepts and knowledge) as the basis for teaching. This definition placed Aristotelian ethics on a practical plane, rather than the theoretical one espoused by Socrates and Plato. This is IvyPanda's free database of academic paper samples. The thinking thought therefore organized the cosmos by being matter itself (Aristotle II.10.122a19). If you have to pick one, I suggest Nicomachean Ethics and Statesman. Plato's most famous work, The Republic, which was his vision of a utopian society, was written during this period. These views are however vague, and as we shall see, both individuals were highly knowledgeable in the political field. Most significantly, Aristotle’s Politics has more of a pluralist comprehension of government in view of the fact that Aristotle asserts that individuals having perfect education and compliance to the ruling are fit to rule. Aristotle, the great disciple of Plato, actively and seriously thought of associating virtue and morality with politics. Though many more of Plato's works survived the centuries, Aristotle's contributions have arguably been more influential, particularly when it comes to science and logical reasoning. This means that to know the good is to do the good, i.e., that knowing the right thing to do will lead to one automatically doing the right thing; this implied that virtue could be taught by teaching someone right from wrong, good from evil. Aristotle differs on these concerns and is more prepared to provide common individuals with the capacity to rule. Plato's second or middle period is comprised of works where he explores morality and virtue in individuals and society. “The Republic of Plato”. We utilize security vendors that protect and ensure the integrity of our platform while keeping your private information safe. Education according to Aristotle will provide a balance in the state since all citizens will be knowledgeable. It involves treating all people equally and conversely, it entails unequal treatment to unequal people. Need a custom Compare and Contrast Essay sample written from scratch by “Black Beauty is a horse” attributes a substantial form, horse, to a certain thing, the animal Black Beauty, and without that form Black Beauty would not exist.