Plato And Aristotle Essay, Research Paper

What is real? What gives life meaning? What happens when we die? These

three questions are very common in today?s society. Everyone has different

beliefs and their answers to these world view questions are different. Greek

Philosopher?s, Aristotle and Plato had very different views and answers to

these questions. What is real? Aristotle believed that for something to be real

it had to have a substance and a form or a body and a soul. Our senses are also

reality. Now Plato on the other hand believed that reality is permanent and our

senses can?t be trusted. He also believed immortal things are more real than

the mortal. For example, Greek gods, immortal souls, and universals are more

real than humans, animals, and plants that are considered mortal. What gives

life meaning? According to Aristotle achieving the highest possible potential

with our talents, to reason with our emotions and the ?golden mean? which is

everything in moderation gives life meaning. Now Plato believed that education

through a forty-four year program gives life meaning. Plato thought that

everybody?s goal in life is, ?We learned but forgot.? What happens when we

die? Aristotle believed nothing happens when we die because to even exist you

have to have a body and a soul. So if you die and your body leaves then you

don?t exist because you don?t have both a body and a soul. Plato believed

that when we die we are recycled. It is kind of like reincarnation but not

quite. When you die you?re reborn but have lost all of your previous knowledge

due to the trauma birth causes. This is where Plato?s goal in life ties in. We

learned but our soul forgot when we are reborn. Plato and Aristotle had

completely different answers to the questions, What is real? What gives life

meaning? and What happens when we die? Some of their answers to these world view

questions may seem bizarre but we all have our own answers and views about many

different things.