Plato vs Aristotle Essay Example

after a century of theological contemplation. Despite secular politics being practiced in the Middle Ages under the Holy Roman Empire's governance, the academic discipline remained Christian and scholastic. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli had a significant impact during this time, written between 1511-12 and printed posthumously in 1532.

Machiavelli's impact on contemporary political thought in the Western world has been significant through his works, The Discourses and The Prince. Although some individuals, like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, suggest that Machiavelli intended The Prince to be satirical and demonstrate support for the Medici family after they regained control of Florence resulting in Machiavelli's exile; it is important to note that he favored the Republic of Florence over the di Medici oligarchy. His pragmatic and consequentialist political beliefs view good and evil as mere instruments for achieving desired outcomes.

Thomas Hobbes, renowned for his social contract theory, emphasized the significance of a strong and secure state in the English Renaissance. Like other theorists, he delved into two crucial inquiries: what motivates individuals to establish states and which type of state is optimal? Addressing these queries necessitated distinguishing between "state" and "government." Specifically, "state" pertained to enduring institutions that allocated power and legitimized its utilization.

The concept of "government" pertains to a specific group of individuals who hold the state's institutions and create laws that apply to everyone, including themselves. Although political scientists still use this idea, some argue that most political activity goes beyond the state, including societies without states. These theories have had a significant impact on political and economic relationships. They replaced guilds with free trade and led Protestant denominations in each nation-state to challenge Roman Catholic sovereignty in theology

while preaching in regional languages, which angered the Roman Catholic church. Aristotle was born in 384 BCE in Stagirus, a Greek colony on Thrace's coast. His father Nichomachus served as the court physician to King Amyntas of Macedonia, which greatly influenced Aristotle's life.

Aristotle views politics as not being a distinct science from ethics, but rather a complement and nearly a confirmation of it. The ethical ideal in governmental administration is simply another aspect of what also pertains to individual well-being. Being social is innate to humans, and the possession of rational speech (logos) naturally leads to social union. According to Aristotle's Key Political Ideas, the state is an elevated community that aims at the ultimate good. The family represents the earliest form of association, ranking lowest in the ladder of social evolution and values because it exists by nature for the fulfillment of people's everyday needs.

The village is a more complex form of association than the family and has a higher purpose than just providing daily necessities. It aims to meet rudimentary cultural wants that the family cannot fulfill. The city-state is the highest form of association in terms of social evolution and purpose. While a family helps in reproducing oneself, a village provides human companionship, the state enables a person to realize their entire self, including their highest potential. Aristotle claimed that man is naturally a political being and only the gods or beasts can survive without residing in a sheltering city.

According to Aristotle, the state is more important than the individual. This means that humans are not superior or separate from society. Aristotle believes that only animals or gods can

survive without being part of a community. He also thinks that slaves are living possessions and have no independence from their owners. While slavery is a natural occurrence due to the existence of ruling and subordinate classes, which he compares to soul and body, it's important to differentiate between those who are born into slavery and those who become slaves through war or conquest.

According to Aristotle, slaves have the ability to comprehend their masters' rational actions and instructions but lack the capacity to act rationally independently. He argues that a state should include various types of individuals – wealthy, poor, non-citizens, and slaves – because "the nature of the state is to be a plurality". Aristotle also identifies three genuine forms of government: kingship, aristocracy, and constitutional government. Each has its corresponding perversions: tyranny for kingship; oligarchy for aristocracy; democracy (which Aristotle considers as rule by impoverished individuals) for constitutional government.

Aristotle maintains that the most optimum form of government amongst three forms is monarchy. According to him, if an individual surpasses others in political capability and moral excellence, they cannot be included as a part of the state. These people can be regarded as divine beings among ordinary mortals because their eminent virtue renders them above laws, thereby making monarchs themselves become the law. Aristotle perceives both monarchy and aristocracy as flawless states since they strive for the common good. The sole difference between them lies in that monarchy concentrates on one extraordinary person possessing virtue while aristocracy disseminates it amongst numerous individuals.

In Aristotle's view, the decline of aristocracy results in oligarchy, a type of governance where the affluent rule for their personal interests

rather than that of the entire state. The philosopher identifies constitutional government (polity) as the third genuine form of state, wherein citizens rule for the benefit of all. Nevertheless, democracy is regarded as a distorted version of constitutional government (polity), where impoverished individuals govern. Aristotle deems democracy to be the most tolerable among the three degenerative types. Plato was born in Athens around c.

During 27 B. C. E., a well-known philosopher, who considered Socrates to be the fairest man of his time and had no written works but was still a significant influence on philosophy, was also famous for having Aristotle as his student.

After Plato's death in 347 B.C.E, Athens redirected its efforts from military endeavors to establish itself as Greece's intellectual center. Four prominent philosophical institutions were established during the fourth century - Plato's Academy, Aristotle's Lyceum, and the Epicurean and Stoic schools all found a home in the city.

Plato believed that society can achieve harmony by reconciling conflicting interests and proposed a rational political order that allows every part of society to flourish without causing harm. He emphasized the importance of virtue in designing and implementing such an order, as he advocated for rigorous analysis of government and politics instead of relying on fear, faith, indolence, or improvisation.

Our political outlook and temperament are shaped by the Platonic belief that reason can be applied to social relations. This belief encompasses the notion that critical analysis can solve social and political issues. In his work, the Republic, Plato opposes democracy and advocates for dividing the population into rulers, fighters, and producers, with a small aristocracy of rulers governing the majority population. He proposes that philosopher

kings/guardians are the best rulers and that a successful government relies on a highly administrative and political class committed to public service without personal gain. The life of guardians and auxiliaries is devoid of individual interests such as property, love, or family.

Plato's view of government emphasized the importance of moral and practical responsibilities that men of knowledge and virtue should take on. He believed that prolonged and intense education should be exclusive to future rulers, who were selected through extensive training. This training was typically reserved for those born into the ruling class or in exceptional circumstances, from the lower class of workers, farmers, and merchants. According to Plato, truth is eternal and unchangeable, accessible only to a select few through specialized training. The preparation for rulers starts before birth, with even the parent pairing being arranged for the highest quality offspring. From infancy until age fifty, education continues in subjects like literature, music, mathematics, philosophy, metaphysics, and military and civilian service assignments to create philosopher-rulers.

In the Republic, Plato outlines four forms of unjust states. The first is the Timocracy, which is founded on military honors and ambitions. Over time, the warriors amass wealth that surpasses the importance of the citizens' welfare, succumbing to greed and transforming into an Oligarchy, wherein only the wealthy rule. This leaves the majority impoverished and powerless in government. Ultimately, the rich and poor conspire against each other until the poor revolt and establish a Democracy by confiscating the property of the wealthy.

The scenario in a democracy where citizens elect a tyrant dictator to restore order in a state where a few individuals accumulate wealth leads to the tyrant

overpowering and destroying those who oppose him, resulting in a tyrannical state. When comparing political theories, it is necessary to analyze each theory thoroughly. Plato is widely considered the pioneer of political philosophy, while Aristotle is recognized as the first political scientist. Both philosophers had valuable insights on how to enhance existing societies during their respective lifetimes.

To distinguish between different theories, it is crucial to analyze multiple aspects of each. Plato's focus centers on creating a perfect society. He presents a blueprint for an idealistic community in his book The Republic, motivated by his dissatisfaction with political discord. This plan aims to resolve the problems that Plato observed in his own era and seeks to remedy both societal and individual troubles in pursuit of an immaculate society.

Aristotle's philosophy differs from Plato's as he focuses on enhancing the current society rather than achieving perfection. Although he is a talented philosopher, he lacks knowledge of God. His contribution to philosophy proposes that there are multiple causes for every event or thing, which aids in understanding its existence, reason, and location.

According to Aristotle, true excellence is attainable only by mature men or those of the upper class and not by women, children, or manual laborers. He believed that voting rights should be restricted to these individuals. Aristotle emphasized the rule of law over individualism and argued that the best political community is one where citizens are educated members of the middle class. Instead of creating a blueprint for a perfect society, in his book Politics, he suggested that society itself should strive for the best achievable system. Aristotle viewed utopia as an abstract solution with

no tangible problems to solve.

Plato's proposal for drastic societal reform lacks concrete proof that it is necessary for all societies. On the other hand, Aristotle believes that the optimal society has already been achieved and the focus should be on improving it. Plato's utopian vision includes three separate class systems that are not based on family lineage. These include the ruling Guardians and non-ruling Guardians, with the latter group serving as higher-level civil servants while the former are responsible for making policy decisions for society.

Auxiliaries include soldiers and minor civil servants while the Workers consist of farmers and artisans, often being unskilled laborers. The Guardians are expected to be just and competent leaders. The emergence of rulers should be from a group of skilled craftsmen who possess a disposition for public service and expertise in governing.

According to Aristotle, the proposition of having a ruling class with absolute power and exclusive knowledge of societal well-being is flawed. He opposes the notion of a single class holding perpetual political power as it neglects competent individuals who may be ambitious and wise but belong to a different social class. This exclusionary system is considered by Aristotle as a misguided political structure.

Quoting, "It is a further objection that he deprives his Guardians even of happiness, maintaining that happiness of the whole state which should be the object of legislation." In essence, Guardians give up their happiness for power and control, ultimately leading to the imposition of such a strict lifestyle on the society they govern. According to Aristotle, moderation holds great value, being a combination of liberalism and conservatism. Plato prohibited private property for rulers due to the

potential threat it poses on their unity and devotion to the state. However, Aristotle argues that private property is not a threat to moral perfection, and justifies his stance with four reasons.

Aristotle presents various arguments in favor of private property. Firstly, he argues that when each individual has their own distinct interest, they will focus on their own business and make more progress, thus leading to social progress. Secondly, he argues that ownership of property provides pleasure and contributes to self-respect and self-realization. Thirdly, he argues that private property is necessary for demonstrating liberality. Finally, he suggests that the longevity of private property suggests its value based on the experience of ages.

Plato's theory of ideas shifts focus from objects to the realm of ideas and the just state, creating a philosophical system that encompasses both nature and society. According to Plato, the universe follows standards of right and justice that can be arrived at through thought. He identifies a higher reality that exists beyond the transient, imperfect world we experience and argues that true wisdom comes from knowledge of perceptions of sensory ideas.

According to Plato, the soul is comprised of three intellects: reason, which pertains to the pursuit of knowledge; spiritedness, which encompasses self-assertion, courage, and ambition; and desire, which is likened to a savage, many-headed monster that delights in indulging in food, sex, and possession. However, Aristotle disagrees with this perspective and argues that achieving Plato's utopia would require a substantial qualitative shift in human character and personality.

Both Plato and Aristotle hold differing viewpoints regarding the concept of justice in a perfect society. Plato outlines what he believes the attitudes and actions of individuals

should be, whereas Aristotle conducts experiments with real people in the real world to determine how they behave. Despite these differences in approach, both philosophers agree on the idea that justice exists objectively with the belief that every person deserves a good life, regardless of social standing. Aristotle notes that in democracies, equality is considered just while in oligarchies, unequal distribution of office is deemed acceptable.

Aristotle highlights the significance of the polis as an institution. Although it is not equivalent to the state or society, it is a larger entity that enables political involvement for ordinary citizens. This concept clashes with Plato's proposal that a single ruling class should bear all political power and affect society as a whole. Aristotle developed the idea of democracy and categorized it as a distorted form of governance compared to "polity." He believed that the majority of citizens should hold sovereignty instead of a select few who are superior.

Plato disagrees with Aristotle's notion of full governmental involvement by the public, stating that their opinions are not informed by knowledge but rather belief. Additionally, he posits that any uprising would merely result in a palace revolution, transferring power from one individual to another.

Aristotle believes that revolutions arise from either the wealthy or the impoverished and can be averted by anticipating them. On the other hand, Plato imagines a perfect society where dissatisfied Guardians may emerge and disturb the status quo. Plato also identifies two possible factors for revolution in an oligarchy, namely ineffective and empathetic rulers, as well as a growing number of poor individuals who are oppressed by their ruling class.

Plato and Aristotle shared the belief that rulers' virtue

is more important than the consent of the governed, although they both preferred voluntary submission to avoid coercion. Aristotle maintained that understanding the factors that lead to the destruction of constitutions is key to preventing their downfall. Despite their differences, both Plato and Aristotle aimed at enhancing society. Plato, a philosopher of politics, sought to uncover philosophical truth, while Aristotle focused on citizens and the structure of political establishments.

Although Aristotle and Plato had varying perspectives on society, they both sought to improve their communities by implementing well-crafted concepts and tactics. Additionally, Aristotle further advocated for democratic principles. Their political philosophies continue to influence modern political scientists today. Sources: http://www.iep.utm.edu/p/platopol.htm, http://www.iep.utm.edu/p/plato.htm, http://www.iep.utm.edu/a/aristotl.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_philosophy, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle