Aristotle vs Plato - SM&B Flashcards
Introduction
Dualism - The soul can be divided into two distinct parts
Materialism - only physical matter exists
Section 1: theme
Plato
Section 1: AO1
PLATO
The body and soul are two separate entities. The body is the temporary physical aspect of a person whereas the soul is the immaterial essence of a person. The body is temporarily united with the body but leaves the body after dead to continue its contemplation of the Form of good in the World of the Forms. This is a perfect immaterial realm where the true concepts of beauty/ justice exist
Section 1: AO2 FOR
PLATO
The soul animates a person by giving a person life; so if a soul is a life-giving essence then it would be contradictory for it to die as it must always have life
Argument from opposites: Every quality comes into being from its own opposite e.g. for something to be big something must be small. This would mean that life comes from death and death comes from life in an endless chain of death and rebirth
Section 1: AO2 AGAINST
PLATO
Bernard Williams – identity comes from body ; Vardy: if our body (brain) controls emotions/ senses/ memories what is exactly left without a body
In discarding this Plato misses a vital part of what it is to be human
The argument from opposites seems to be an assumption. For example, not everything has an opposite, e.g. what would be the opposite of the colour blue? There is no need to assume that the soul exists or is the opposite of the body
Section 2: theme
Aristotle
Section 2: AO1
ARISTOTLE
Perhaps more convincing than Plato as whilst Aristotle argues that there is a soul the soul cannot be separated from the body, and does not need to reference an eternal realm with no empirical evidence of its existence.
Instead, Aristotle argues that the soul is a ‘substance’ which is the ‘essence’ of a thing. Whilst the physical body changes (the material cause) the ‘substance’ of a person stays the same, in terms of continuing identity (the formal cause) which are the shape and characteristics that make it what it is
Section 2: AO1 FOR
ARISTOTLE
If the body and the soul are inseparable there is no need to assume that there is life after death. The soul dies along with the body.
- Perhaps this explains the physical changes observed when someone dies as the soul dies as well as the body
Beauty and justice are subjective - different people find different things beautiful it is not universal
Section 2: AO1 AGAINST
ARISTOTLE
The argument of recollection: people can recognize beauty in different things such as a sunset/flower. Although they are different our soul has previously witnessed the Form of Beauty before being incarnated in our body and can still recognise it
materialists would argue that there is no need to assume something extra (a soul). A dead person looks different as they are no longer having blood pumped around their body and receiving O2 and nutrients
Section 3: theme
Plato’s tripartite view of the soul useful however metaphorically and Aristotle’s
Section 3: AO1
When Plato wrote about the soul, he used the metaphor of a chariot being pulled by two horses. The two horses ‘appetite’ and ‘emotion’ basic needs pull us along and motivate us; they are controlled by the charioteer ‘reason’ who holds the reigns and ensures the appetite and emotion work together in a rational direction. However, sometimes the bodily desires or emotions take over and we are driven by greed or anger.
Section 3: AO2 FOR
METAPHOR
Plato does seem to describe the human experience of inner conflict. For example, I may know that I should go to the gym to keep healthy, but I feel too tired or lazy, or I choose to go to the coffee shop instead. This could mean that reason is not in control of my soul.
useful as a metaphor – can help people make more reasonable decisions and try and control their ‘appetites’ and ‘emotion’ which can help us grow as better people
Also helpful with Aristotle as our essence helps us understand our purpose and who we are
Section 3: AO2 AGAINST
METAPHOR
This inner conflict could be simply explained as emotion, personality type, or a lack of maturity
No verifiable evidence of an immaterial soul as something extra and beyond the body
