Philosophers

Plato and Aristotle : a Comparison

Plato and Aristotle are two of the earliest known thinkers in metaphysics , epistemology , and ethics . Although Aristotle was a student of Plato , the two had some very contrasting ideas

Metaphysics

Plato and Aristotle believed in the concept of forms , although they had different definitions of the concept . Plato 's take on metaphysics can be labeled as dualism . Plato developed his ideas a priori he formulated his own explanations of an ideal reality and applied them to the observable world

Reality had two levels for Plato

: the level of the observable objects and the level of forms (the ideal . The observable aspect of the world are but imperfect copies of the forms , and observable objects are impermanent , as opposed to forms , which are eternal . Plato 's forms can be understood as blueprints that existed outside of the observable , and on which everything observable depends thus these forms are more real ' than the observable . Plato uses analogies for this explanation in his allegory of the cave , for example , lifetime immobile prisoners see only shadows on a cave wall and think that the shadows are the ultimate reality . Although it cannot be disputed that the shadows are real ' it is the objects that are casting the shadows that are , in a sense , the true reality . Aside from the well-known allegory of the cave Plato used a number of other metaphors to explain his metaphysical views , such as the metaphor of the sun , and the divided line

Conversely , Aristotle developed his ideas a posteriori - by directly observing the world and then deriving formulas ' for this observable reality . His primary concern in this area was causality . Aristotle believed in only one level of reality , and he believed that form had no existence outside of physical , observable reality

Aristotle 's concern on the relationship of form and matter led to his concepts of causality . He believed that there are four very basic causes that can be applied to anything : the Material cause , or , in Aristtle 's words , that out of which a thing comes to be , and which persists the formal cause , the statement of essence (which states that anything is determined by the definition or archetype , the Efficient cause (the primary source of change , and the Final cause (the end or the intent of an action

Epistemology

Plato 's epistemology holds that all knowledge is innate , which means the process of learning is actually just a recollection of knowledge buried deep in the soul Plato believed that before birth the soul had a perfect knowledge of everything . This is the basic precept of Plato 's Theory of Ideas

According to Plato , ideas are permanent and absolute . In Plato 's view all human actions can be judged through the standard of these concrete and absolute ideas , but Aristotle refutes Plato 's theory on the grounds that Plato 's arguments are inconclusive - stating that Plato 's arguments are not convincing or lead to contradictory conclusions

Aristotle refutes Plato 's claim that Ideas...