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Great Philosophers of Ancient Greece: Plato and Aristotle

Great Philosophers of Ancient Greece: Plato and Aristotle. James A. Van Slyke, Ph.D. Two Philosophers. Plato (428-348 B.C.) Born into wealth and political power Rejected a political career after the death of Socrates Socrates’ student His school, The Academy, located next to his house

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Great Philosophers of Ancient Greece: Plato and Aristotle

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  1. Great Philosophers of Ancient Greece: Plato and Aristotle James A. Van Slyke, Ph.D.

  2. Two Philosophers • Plato (428-348 B.C.) • Born into wealth and political power • Rejected a political career after the death of Socrates • Socrates’ student • His school, The Academy, located next to his house • Taught both academics and political leaders • Died at the age of 81 at a wedding feast

  3. TwoPhilosophers • Aristotle (384 -322 B.C.) • Born in Macedonia 15 years after Socrates’ death • In 367 B.C Aristotle at the age of 17 moved to Athens and studied at The Academy for 20 years • Tutored Alexander the Great • Aristotle later set up his own school, The Lyceum, outside of Athens • Great library and students • Many free lectures

  4. Theory or Common sense? • Plato • Pointing towards the sky • Emphasized theoretical knowledge • Clothed in red the volatile element of fire • Aristotle • Feet firmly on the ground • Clothed in the colors of green (earth) and blue (water) • Emphasized the empirical, what can be demonstrated and observed

  5. Plato’s Thought • The Republic (written 375 B.C.) • Sought a definition of Justice • Explores several definitions • Statement of the aims of The Academy • Characters • Socrates – Narrator • Glaucon and Adeimantus • Primary respondents, elder brothers of Plato • Thrasymachus • Sophist

  6. The Republic • Definitions of Justice • Objection of Thrasymachus • Justice is not virtue, but foolishness • Used for the interest of the powerful • Self-interest is more important than morality • Objections of Glaucon and Adeimantus • Means to avoid punishment • Gain a good reputation; social approval • Plato tries to show that justice is a good to be sought for its own reward

  7. The Republic • To understand justice, the philosopher must understand “the form of the good” • Forms – • Idea or Essence of something • That which unites things into a particular category • Theory of Ideas • The allegory of the sun • The allegory of the cave • Philosopher is sent to rescue people from the cave • From the world of appearance to the reality of the good

  8. The Republic • Plato’s society has three classes • 1. Ruling class – soldiers • Selected through competition • Philosopher Kings • 2. Auxiliary soldiers • Carried out necessary functions • 3. Farmers and Artisans • Gave consent to rulers • Virtuous city is based on a proper division of labor

  9. The Republic • Inner soul is similar to the division of labor in the city • Reason • Rules over the tempers and appetites • Tempers • Fight and punish • Anger • Appetite • Sexual desire • Hunger, thirst

  10. The Republic • Justice is an individual in harmony with the three parts of the soul; discord leads to injustice • A proper balance of the soul is based on the exercise of reason • This leads to a just person and a just society • Thus, justice or goodness is its own reward • Better to fill the soul with understanding rather than simply fulfilling the appetites • Justice or goodness leads to a healthy soul and a healthy life

  11. The Republic • Education • Imagination • Poets and Drama, story • Beliefs • Establishing a contingent fact • Mathematics • Abstract numbers • Geometrical proofs • Dialectic (philosophical) reasoning • proposes a hypothesis and • tries to show that it leads to a contradiction or elenchusif successful the hypothesis is refuted • Tries to reach a premise that is unquestionable

  12. Plato’s Cosmology Form of the Good Forms stars/planets = divinities humans animals plants inorganic material more order, goodness, beauty, less corruptibility as we go up the hierarchy

  13. Aristotle • More interested in the empirical • Classification of animal behavior • Theories of causation • Efficient causation – sculptor • Material cause - stone • Formal cause – forms • Final cause – function something serves • Expanded and reformed Plato’s thought • Hylomorphic view of matter • Form and matter work together; interdependent

  14. Aristotle • Understanding of the soul • Hierarchy of the soul • Different types of souls provide different functions • plants have vegetative/nutrition – about nutrient, reproductive, grow • animals have animal/sensitive – sensation, locomotion, • humans rational soul – intellect

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