Plato and Aristotle

Aristotle and Plato were philosophical thinkers who taught in the Academy of Athens, founded by Plato around 380 BC. Aristotle was a student and a colleague of Plato. The thinkers studied and proclaimed their views on disciplines like ethics, politics, philosophy, science, and other related fields. However, the only difference between Plato and Aristotle was that the former had an idealistic or utopian school of thought, whereas the latter’s approach was oriented towards practicality. Aristotle was bent on identifying rational and logical reasoning for the occurrences in the world, whereas Plato was famous for having an abstract viewpoint.  

Background of the great thinkers

Socrates- The son of a midwife and a sculptor, Socrates was a soldier in the Athenian army. Although he was married to a woman, he has been known to prefer young men. He was known as one of Athen’s finest intellectuals and wisest men. He discouraged men who weaponised logic and rationale to meet their self-centred ends. Socrates shared his wisdom with his students and followers. He preferred not to write his ideas as scripts but rather question and inspire the curiosity of the young lads that sought his wisdom. Later, Plato penned down Socrates’ thoughts in the form of Dialogs.

Plato- Socrates’ favourite student, Plato, belonged to a wealthy family in Greece. The death of Socrates deeply saddened him, so he decided to wander the entirety of Greece and the Mediterranean. Once, he was caught by pirates who enslaved him and was then rescued by his friends, who paid the ransom. Plato was gifted ‘Academus’, a sprawling property where he set up his school. He was known for his utopian and idealistic thoughts.

Aristotle- Aristotle belonged to the Greece colony Stagira. The son of a physician who worked under Alexander the Great, Aristotle was a prized student and follower of Plato. He worked with Plato in the Academy of Athens, where they discussed different subjects and formulated various ideas that are still revered and discussed in contemporary literature and philosophy. Aristotle’s take on philosophy differed from that of Plato as he found a resemblance of philosophy in common sense, rationale, and logic.

Works of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle

Socrates’ discourses were conversational primarily, that is, in the form of questions and answers, where the questions were aimed at finding solutions through self-reflection, experiences, and regular everyday tribunals.

Plato’s works were classified into three different phases. The first one captures the lessons given by Socrates and the Apology, which entails the episode of Plato’s execution. The second phase of his writings contains the essence of morality, values, and virtues existing in society. This part reflects mainly on wisdom, determination, courage, and justice. Plato also shares his understanding of the duality in responsibility and power. 

On the other hand, Aristotle has written two hundred treatises on different disciplines, eighty per cent of which have been lost. Only thirty-one treatises on several subjects are still available, including Physics de Anima, his poetics, and teachings on politics and metaphysics. The works of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle continue to astonish people because of the realistic ideas contained in them.  

Difference between Plato and Aristotle’s contributions

Plato and Aristotle differ in their contribution because of their ideologies. Plato had a universal mindset which gave him an idealistic viewpoint, whereas Aristotle believed that different concepts and objects have different meanings and might not be universally attached. 

Plato and Aristotle had a few similarities as well. They both believed that thoughts held a greater position in life than the senses. However, they further differed in beliefs where Plato pointed out that senses can fool a person. In contrast, Aristotle explained that senses are essential to help one identify the truth and understand reality. Similarly, Plato and Aristotle constantly debated on subjects like ethics, science, political theory, etc.

Conclusion

The distinguishing elements are far superior to the similarities in the theories of Plato and Aristotle. A chain connects the three thinkers; Socrates profoundly influenced Plato in the same way that Aristotle was influenced by Plato’s wisdom and divine knowledge, which compelled him to choose education and educate society. The philosophers belonged to different schools of thought which were contrary to each other, yet they have impacted society in their unique ways.