Aristotle Notes Introduction: Aristotle’s Definition of Happiness “Happiness depends on ourselves.” More than anybody else‚ Aristotle enshrines happiness as a central purpose of human life and a goal in itself. As a result he devotes more space to the topic of happiness than any thinker prior to the modern era. Living during the same period as Mencius‚ but on the other side of the world‚ he draws some similar conclusions. That is‚ happiness depends on the cultivation of virtue‚ though his virtues
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Aristotle: On Interpretation vs. Bertrand Russell: “On the Relations of Universals and Particulars” In 384 B.C.‚ Aristotle was born in the city of Stagira‚ Greece‚ and after the passing of his father Nicomachus‚ whom was king of Macedonia’s personal physician‚ at a young age‚ Proxenus of Atarneus became Aristole’s new guardian. Aristotle began school at Plato’s Academy in Athens when he was around 18 years old‚ and he studied there until he was about 37 years old‚ which was shortly after the time
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Moral Behavior: Aquinas and Aristotle vs. Kant When comparing between the philosophies of St. Thomas Aquinas/Aristotle and those of Immanuel Kant when regarding moral behavior‚ there are some very fundamental differences. On one hand‚ you have Kant’s autonomous perspective on behavior morality‚ in which you give the law to yourself. On the other hand‚ you have the heteronomy views of Aristotle and Aquinas which concludes that one can measure their conduct against an external force. Kant’s
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achieve happiness. This goal of explaining and defining the highest good for man was a concern for the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle and the Christian philosopher St. Augustine. Aristotle provided his account of how one may achieve a good life in his Nicomachean Ethics and Augustine in his writings of the two cities – the city of man and the city of God. Aristotle gives a more subjective account of happiness based on an active life lived in accordance with reason‚ while Augustine’s writings
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Plato & Metaphysics Metaphysics; a combination of the Greek word‚ meta‚ which translates to “after‚” “beyond‚” “along with‚” “among‚” and “behind‚” and the Latin term‚ physica‚ that simply means the science of matter and physical properties. Philosophers refer to this term to theorize about the different elements of the world in which we live and the world that truly exists. One of the most prominent philosophers is Plato‚ who set the foundation for many modern philosophers on their perspective
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the book seems to be the nature of justice‚ a topic in political philosophy‚ but Plato also has his characters explore issues in philosophical cosmology‚ philosophical theology‚ philosophical anthropology‚ ethics‚ aesthetics‚ and epistemology. The parts of the Republic that are contained in our text (pp. 107-123) focus on Plato’s idea (ideal?) of the Philosopher Ruler. According to Plato‚ the best possible political system (state) will be ruled (governed) by
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Of all the plays by William Shakespeare‚ Hamlet deals the most with what lies beyond this terrestrial sphere. In the words of Michael Neil‚ "Hamlet [is] a prolonged meditation on death." It is a study of life beyond death‚ in the metaphysics of the eternal soul‚ the afterlife‚ and the eternal consequences of temporal causes. Characters in the play are obsessed by the afterlife. Hamlet ’s fixation on suicide is possibly the most obvious example of this. In one of his soliloquies‚ he confesses
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ideas‚ inventions and genial persons‚ and now days it is difficult to imagine our world without them. One of the most famous names of that age was Plato. He was philosopher‚ mathematic and teacher. Never the less‚ a few persons know why actually he was so famous. So‚ do you know where words “Academy” and «Benefit» came from or who created “Metaphysics” as field of science? Unfortunately‚ the extant data‚ which showed dates and place of Plato’s definitely were sweep away by wind of history
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support 1: plato believes in dualism‚ where Aristotle does not. support 2: plato proposes that the soul transcends‚ where Aristotle does not. Introduction: Centuries ago‚ Aristotle was a student at Plato’s school. Being a student at Plato’s school‚ Aristotle’s philosophies were greatly influenced by Plato. There are many similarities in the philosophies of the two‚ but there are many differences as well. The question of “ What is a soul?” is one topic Aristotle and Plato did not agree
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Thucydides Versus Plato: Differing Views of the Good Life What is the true nature of the Good Life? Is it living life with concern for only oneself despite the possible consequences of one’s action on others? Or might it involve self-sacrifice in effort to do what one feels is right or just? Is it descriptive‚ or perhaps prescriptive? Two prominent Greeks‚ Thucydides and Plato‚ began providing answers to these questions over 25 centuries ago as they analyzed and wrote critically about life’s
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