Greek Justice Plato And Aristotle - 1085 Words

Philosophers and Justice as the Greek World Expands in 400-150 BCE Justice could be the defined as the quality of being fair and reasonable, during the period of 400-150 BCE when the Greek civilization was being formed. Plato and Aristotle are philosphers, who are leading figures of ancient Greek civilization and both discussed justice and established theories about the views of being just. Plato was a student of Socrates, and Aristotle was a student of Plato. Aristotle and Plato had different philosophies about many subjects such as justice and injustice, the function of humans, truth, the human soul, art, and politics. Starting with Plato (427 BC-347 BC) one of the most important philosophers of the world and the founder of â€Å"The†¦show more content†¦To compare the political theories of two great philosophers of politics is to first examine each theory in depth. Plato is regarded by many experts as the first writer of political philosophy, and Aristotle is recognized as the first political scientist. These two men were great thinker s. They each had ideas of how to improve existing societies during their individual lifetimes. It is necessary to look at several areas of each theory to seek the difference and similarities in each. Both philosophers had common points and some differences, starting with Plato, where in the beginning of his conversation with Thrasymachus (Plato, The Republic ,Page 19), the latter defines justice as â€Å"what is the interest of the stronger party†. Socrates goes on to refute this definition by saying that the stronger party can be at fault sometimes, and a ruler can make mistakes. One of the questions that Plato pursued in his work was the one proposed by Thrasymachus who suggests that the pursuit of self-interest or injustice pays better than that the pursuit of justice. Socrates states that the injustice would create disagreement and weakness instead of strength. He says that injustice causes problems and weakens the group â€Å"†¦ whether it occurs in a state or fami ly or army or in anything else: it renders it incapable of any common action because of factions and quarrels, and sets it at variance with itself and with its opponents and with whatever is just† (Plato, The Republic, pageShow MoreRelatedEssay about How Greek Philosophers Affect our Learning Today1403 Words   |  6 PagesWorks Cited†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..6 A. Plan of Investigation: The topic, Greek Philosophers, could be a very broad topic to write a research paper on. However, the plan of action, which will occur to create this report, will ensure that the end product will be different from the rest. The topic is not just about Greek Philosophers, but rather how it affects our learning today. There were many Greek Philosophers who produced great ideas and all of them contributed to our modern knowledgeRead MoreCritical Analysis of Plato and Aristotle1634 Words   |  7 PagesPOL 311 (HISTORY OF POLITICAL THOUGHT) TOPIC A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PLATO AND ARISTOTLES POLITICAL THOUGHT WRITTEN BY OKWOR, STEPHEN USHIE 09/ED/EF/814 DEPT OF EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS (POLITICAL SCIENCE UNIT) FACULTY OF EDUCATION SUBMITTED TO DR. EJERE DEPT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF UYO, UYO AKWA IBOM STATE MAY, 2012 A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PLATO AND ARISTOTLES POLITICAL THOUGHT In order to compare these great philosophers, it isRead MoreHistorical Events That Took Place During The Classical Period1458 Words   |  6 PagesWorld Literature I Historically Significant Influences of Aristotle During the Classical Period, 500-232 BCE, Greece was at the peak of its political and cultural achievement. This was also a time of war, most noteworthy being the vast empire created by Alexander the Great. In a period containing such an immense amount of historical significance there is no doubting that it had influenced the people born. Notorious philosopher Aristotle is no exception, contributing a great deal to the fields ofRead MoreThe Era Between 350 And 310 Bc929 Words   |  4 PagesThe era between 350 and 310 BC marked a dramatic change in the Western World from the first, classical Hellenic Age of the Greeks, to the second, Hellenistic Age of the Greek Civilization. This classical period was considered the height of Greek civilization and deemed â€Å"The Golden Age† of ancient Greece. The polis (Greek city-state) was the center of Greek political life for the majority of this period. The poleis were small, independent, and self-sufficient; however, too politically divided to surviveRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The First Ones 1562 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"What is justice?† and â€Å"How do we justify what is just or good?† have popped up in human minds and Plato and Aristotle were the first philosophers to answer these questions. 2. Plato 2.1. His Life To many people, Plato was known as the first writer of philosophy. Plato was born in Athens in 429 BC (Plato-Biography, egs.edu). His birth name was Aristocles and gained the nickname Platon later on. He had two brothers named Adeimantus and Glaucon (Plato-Biography, egs.edu). When Plato met SocratesRead MorePlato and Aristotle: An Analysis1175 Words   |  5 Pagesof Plato and Aristotle regarding the best political association. Quotes from Politics and the Republic are used to support the author’s thesis. Plato and Aristotle: An Analysis Determining the best form of political association was important to the ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle, and each of them expressed his opinion in important works such as the Republic and Politics. In explaining, comparing, and contrasting the political philosophies of Plato and Aristotle, itRead MorePlato s The Republic And Aristotle933 Words   |  4 PagesThe Politics are two classic texts in ancient Greek political thought. Although Plato taught Aristotle, the two philosophers had differing viewpoints on many subjects, one of them being the purpose of political rule. Plato believed that the purpose of political rule is to allow for the manifestation of a just city where both the city and its citizens are in harmony due to a specialization of roles according to individuals’ natures, whereas Aristotle believed that the purpose of political rule isRead MoreHistorical Views of Leadership: Plato and Aristotle1320 Words   |  6 PagesWest is commonly held to begin with Herodotus of ancient Athens, it is not surprising that we should examine the historical views of leadership through the eyes of two titans of Greek thought: Plato and Aristotle. Both men lived in 4th century BCE Athens, so much of their background and experience was shared. Aristotle was the younger of the two, and he was Plato’s student. Where leadership is concerned, both philosophers agreed that the â€Å"best men† should rule, and that the purpose of leadershipRead MoreAristotle and Plato: Death Action and Justice1284 Words   |  5 PagesAristotle and Plato: Death, Action and Justice Ancient philosophers wrestled considerably with the questions of right and wrong, good and evil, just and unjust. The struggle to understand and define these various dynamics was cast into constant debate, especially in the context of the pagan and imperial Athenian state. Here, thinkers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle would continually advance the discussion on how best to define man, both practically and ethically. In the two prompting statementsRead MoreReview of Aristotles Nichomachean Ethics1388 Words   |  6 PagesPeters with an introduction by Hye-Kyung Kim. Aristotle was one of the great early philosophers who ventured to speak to humans about how they conducted themselves as they related to others; however, some of Aristotle’s ideologies were debated by his counterparts for hundreds of years. Aristotle’s plethora of ideas was and has been adopted by past and present philosophers as they approached subject matter that had very few definitive answers. Ari stotle was born in circa 384 B. C. and died in 322