The Philosophies of Plato, Socrates and Aristotle in Regards to Good and Evil, the Individual, the State and Government
Number of pages:
6
ABSTRACT:
This is a 6 page paper comparing the philosophies of Plato, Socrates and Aristotle. For Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, justice, truth, natural order and law play important parts in the concept of good and evil, an individual’s role in society, and the formation of the state and government. For Socrates, justice was the ultimate goal of the state and for individuals and the state to be considered good and not evil, regarding the law and what was just was fundamental to the maintenance of society. Plato, a student of Socrates, believed that truth and knowledge were the most important components of a society and good is what allows man to see the truth. In Plato’s state however, there were distinct classes which were based on knowledge and those with the greatest knowledge, which were few, should set the laws for the many and it was up to each individual within the state to play his “part” in protecting the structure of the state. Aristotle, a student at Plato’s Academy, also believed in the natural selection of classes and the preservation of these classes led to a stable and just society but his classes were the wealthy, moderate and poor classes. The rules for society according to Aristotle should be made democratically by the moderate class as it was the least corruptible and the most abundant. Whereas Socrates believed good came from man’s pursuit of justice and Plato believed that good came from man’s knowledge of truth; Aristotle believed that all men pursued happiness which came not from wealth but from contemplation of what was good and good for the state. For Aristotle what was good for the state was man’s natural and logically place within it and an adherence to natural law and mean or moderate law.
Bibliography lists 6 sources.
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