Aristotle’s Philosophy

Aristotle’s Philosophy

Plato and Aristotle are two great names of Western Philosophy. Aristotle was Plato’s proud student and colleague at the Academy in Athens. Academy in Athens was a renowned institution for scientific, philosophical and mathematical research. Plato founded it in the 380s. Aristotle respected his teacher and his philosophy a lot but opposed many aspects of his teacher’s philosophy. According to researchers, Plato’s presented an abstract and utopian philosophy while Aristotle’s presented an empirical, commonsensical, and practical philosophy. Famous Italian Renaissance painter Raphael beautifully portrayed such contrasts in the fresco School of Athens (1510-11).

Philosophy of Aristotle makes more sense than the philosophy of Plato. The philosophy of Plato is too elitist. According to Plato, common human beings are ignorant and incompetent. Empiricism and practicality in the philosophy of Aristotle is the factor which impressed me a lot and on the other hand, Plato’s philosophy is abstract and idealistic.

We have observed the basic difference between Plato and Aristotle regarding their theories of forms. According to Plato, Forms are abstract entities, existing totally outside space and time. We can perceive them through the mind, not through experience and sense. It seems highly unrealistic philosophy. Aristotle respects his teacher and his philosophy but rejected Plato’s philosophy. He gave persuasive arguments against it. In his opinion forms do not exist alone of things rather every form is the form of something. Additionally, his phrase “Black beauty is a horse” characterizes a substantial form, horse, to a particular object, the animal Black Beauty would not stay. The accidental forms may be lost or achieved by a thing without changing its necessary nature. For example, “black beauty is black” attributes an accidental form, blackness, to a certain animal, which could change color without ending to be himself. Perhaps someone may paint him. He set an opinion that without substantial form things would end to exist. Substantial and accidental forms are not eternal.

According to Aristotle, happiness is a kind of right activity. It is not just a condition of the soul. The good life is, therefore, the coherent activity of the soul. Aristotle identifies both practical virtues and intellectual virtues including bravery and temperance. Aristotle set a theory that happiness is the practice of philosophical consideration in a human being who cultivated all of the moral and intellectual virtues over much of a life span. Happiness is the practice of moral virtues.

Aristotle in his famous book Politics presented an applicable and practical theory of politics instead of presenting an imaginary world. On the other hand, his teacher presented an idea of an ideal Republic. All the philosophy of Plato seems imaginary and away from reality and practicality. Aristotle’s philosophy is practical and beneficial for society. He gave a theory that “man is a political animal”, it means human beings naturally form political communities. Certainly, it is not possible for human beings to flourish outside a community, and the basic purpose of communities is to promote human flourishing. He classified states according to the number of their rulers and the interests in which they rule. According to him, the polity is the best form of government because it is the government of the masses. (Politics book IV) In other words, his ideas and theories are more applicable in the modern age in comparison with the theories of Plato.

References:

1. Duignan, Brian. Plato and Aristotle: How Do They Differ? Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/story/plato-and-aristotle-how-do-they-differ
2. Aristotle: Politics. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from https://www.iep.utm.edu/aris-pol/#H4
3. Politics Volume 4.