Question:
Describe Plato’s concept of human nature and his theory of the world?
Answer:
According to the view of Plato on human nature, persons differ as per the predominant nature. Plato suggested that the soul is immortal and it is similar to the ideas which are unchanging and eternal. Plato speculated that the human soul has three parts that is reasoning, spiritedness and the appetites. Plato viewed each man is attended to dominate by one of these parts. The dominating characteristic affects the other traits naturally. The last feature of Plato’s theory of human nature is that a human is basically a social being. Plato argued that better understanding of human nature contains individual happiness and social stability. The philosophy of Plato asserts that there is two parts of the world. The physical world reflects the daily basis interaction with physical objects. The physical objects are the constantly changing element and less real. According to the opinion of Plato, human doesn’t have the real knowledge of the visible world. This part is known as theory of reality. The spiritual world consists of the things of knowledge. Therefore, it is investigated as a theory of knowledge. The spiritual world is only a shadow, image or reflection. Plato thought that non-material abstract forms of the change in the world known through sensation that possess the highest and most fundamental kind of reality. In the opinion of Plato the three main sources of human behavior reflects desire, emotion and knowledge. Plato prescribed to alleviate human discord by living in groups is necessary for surviving with nature. Plato stated that exchanging goods and services helps man to emerge above an animal existence and to become a fully civilized human. Akiskal (2008) cited that the prime strength of Plato’s theory is, it is more biblical and totally reliant on the acceptance of the almighty. This theory is a rational argument for the existence of another reality. On the other hand, Altman (2013) viewed the weakness of Plato’s theory that it removes the enthusiasm of people’s struggling in this real world as all have to go the afterlife stage.
According to the view of Aristotle on human nature and world is that living things include plants, human and non-human animals have a vegetative structure. The non-human animals have a sensitive structure that uses senses to interact with the nature. The entire human has a unique structure which differentiates from the other group of living substances. The happiness directly depends on the behavior of human in the society. Aristotle recognized that by performing well as per the function of human can achieve individual’s happiness. However, Aristotle revealed that the natural activity of human is determined by the society. Aristotle viewed that the every citizen needed to actively participate in politics foe being happy and religious. The revolution within political communities is a main source of inspiration of human happiness. Plato viewed that knowing the good is to do the good, whereas to Aristotle knowing the good was not enough. Aristotle argued for the practicing virtue. Secondly, Plato cited that there is no word like moral luck so the virtue was sufficient for happiness. However, Aristotle differed that virtue is not sufficient as it essential for a good life. People need to be good citizens for achieving happiness. The strength of the Aristotle theory referred by Boys-Stones (2007), it emphasizes on the rules of people that must follow in the everyday life in developing a good character. On the other hand, Cresswell (2008) cited the weakness of the virtue that right moral character could not be enough to take right decision. The virtues based system creates a difference in people’s opinion.
Plato believed that the concepts of the world theory gad a universal and ideal form that leads to idealistic philosophy. Aristotle believed universal forms were not necessarily attached to each concept that leads to Aristotelian Empiricism. Plato thought experiments were enough to prove the qualities of an object. However, Aristotle chose the direct observation theory. Regarding this, Crivelli (2015) expressed that both Aristotle and Plato believed that the thoughts of human were superior to the sense. But Plato described that sense could make a fool person, whereas Aristotle delivered that for determining the reality senses is needed to be observed. For an example illustrated by Tarrant (2009), the allegory of the cave created by Plato reflected that world was like a cave. The persons only viewed the shadows and the only reality is thoughts. As per Aristotle method the solution was walking out from the cave and experienced the shadows directly rather than rely on indirect experience. So regarding the role of US government in education the method of Aristotle would be best arguments for a mandate.
Reference
Akiskal, H. (2008). In search of Aristotle: Temperament, human nature, melancholia, creativity and eminence. Annals of General Psychiatry, 7(1), 62–65
Altman, W. H. F. (2013). Plato and the post- Socratic dialogue: The return to the philosophy of nature. Plato Journal, 13(2), 111–114
Boys-Stones, G. R. (2007). Review: Plato and Aristotle in agreement? Platonists on Aristotle from Antiochus to Porphyry. Mind, 116(464), 1129–1132
Cresswell, M. J. (2008). Essence and existence in Plato and Aristotle. Theoria, 37(2), 91–113
Crivelli, P. (2015). Aristotle. Phronesis, 60(1), 127–144
Tarrant, H. (2009). Plato and Aristotle in agreement?. Ancient Philosophy, 29(1), 240–247
