Plato and Aristotle: Compare and Contrast?

Question

i know people get annoyed with homework questions.. but worth a shot

Its for my final in Philosophy.

Answer 1

It's a big subject, but here's one take: Plato was a realist; Aristotle was a nominalist. The subject was universals. Examples: "Red "or "Good." There are many red things: Red beets, red rubies, red blood, red apples, red autumn leaves. Plato held that "redness," which is a universal in philosophy and logic, was real and had actual existence someplace outside our world. Things that were red partook of the real redness somewhere outside.

His purpose was to argue that "goodness" also had a real existence somewhere. Thus there was a good life, good things, and a good way to act. It comes out in Plato's dialogues of Socrates that good exists, good is better, and one should prefer the good. Plato needed this in an age when the gods had become irrelevant and no longer able to spur humans to virtue.

I mean, how can one draw moral lessons from Zeus, who transforms himself into a swan, because Earth girls are easy?

Aristotle was more sparing in his logic. People see red things, he argued, and they use the word "red," which is only a name for this characteristic (nominalism). Interestingly, Socrates was put on trial for something like heresy, blasphemy, or sacrilege against the gods. Socrates argued that one should live a good life, even if there are no gods, because there is good, and people should pursue that.

So who was right? It took until Peter Abelard in the XIth century to argue that, in a way, both are.

Answer 2

Plato was more of an idealist, what with his theory of forms and justice and so on.
Aristotle was more of a realist, he liked more scientific studies and practical philosophy, and he came up with very practical everyday logic which we use without even realizing it. He disliked theories for which there was no proof or reason, and criticized Plato's theory of forms.
Basically- Plato looked to the skies and other worlds for his answers while Aristotle was focused on the world around him.

Answer 3

You must have Professor Klinsky. I would help you out but I take philosophy as serious as professor Klinksy. Good luck with Philosophy goals in 2011. Does he still do his laugh Heeeheheee. -Loyola Grad.