View of the Soul
Christopher Agnew
Phil 101
Hicks
3-8-13
Aristotle vs. Plato: Views on the Soul
The happening which took place in the sixth and fifth centuries in how the Greeks thought and spoke of the soul resulted in a very complicated notion that comes out as one as outstanding close to conceptions of the soul that we find in philosophical theories, especially Plato’s and Aristotle’s theories. In doing so they changed the ways that we look at the soul, and how we view philosophy. But when looking at their views, are they really the same in comparison, or are they completely different, and do not relate to each other at all?
In early Athens, the first Philosophers believed that everything was water, air, fire, or a mixture of them. There were many other views that had been envisioned, but it was Socrates and Plato who took a look into the spiritual aspects in order to find their answer. Even though they shared similar views, there were still some differences in which the compared each other’s ideas.
Plato was concerned with what we can see as an ultimate reality. From what he saw, it could exist in the spiritual world, but it could not be a reality in the physical world. Plato believed that the earth is an imitation of what he believes is the real one. He believed in the world of forms where false images are, and the physical is not truly existent and is not perfect. “This system is known as ‘dualist- the imitation world and the spiritual world of ‘forms’. In this this spiritual world exists the essence of everything physical their perfect forms”(How Does Aristotle's Approach to the Nature of 'Soul' Differ from Plato's). From this Plato thought that our souls existed even before they came to our body, and that they could live forever, and that we already possess all the knowledge once our should returns and enters our bodies. He does see the soul, though, as captive inside the body. He sees that there’s conflict, which brings tention within ourselves, and that these
Phil 101
Hicks
3-8-13
Aristotle vs. Plato: Views on the Soul
The happening which took place in the sixth and fifth centuries in how the Greeks thought and spoke of the soul resulted in a very complicated notion that comes out as one as outstanding close to conceptions of the soul that we find in philosophical theories, especially Plato’s and Aristotle’s theories. In doing so they changed the ways that we look at the soul, and how we view philosophy. But when looking at their views, are they really the same in comparison, or are they completely different, and do not relate to each other at all?
In early Athens, the first Philosophers believed that everything was water, air, fire, or a mixture of them. There were many other views that had been envisioned, but it was Socrates and Plato who took a look into the spiritual aspects in order to find their answer. Even though they shared similar views, there were still some differences in which the compared each other’s ideas.
Plato was concerned with what we can see as an ultimate reality. From what he saw, it could exist in the spiritual world, but it could not be a reality in the physical world. Plato believed that the earth is an imitation of what he believes is the real one. He believed in the world of forms where false images are, and the physical is not truly existent and is not perfect. “This system is known as ‘dualist- the imitation world and the spiritual world of ‘forms’. In this this spiritual world exists the essence of everything physical their perfect forms”(How Does Aristotle's Approach to the Nature of 'Soul' Differ from Plato's). From this Plato thought that our souls existed even before they came to our body, and that they could live forever, and that we already possess all the knowledge once our should returns and enters our bodies. He does see the soul, though, as captive inside the body. He sees that there’s conflict, which brings tention within ourselves, and that these