Plato & Aristotle notes

Plato: 428-347B.C.
-Aristocrat-born into a famliy with money
-Deciple of Socrates
-Plato was at the excution of Socrates(Egypt 399B.C.)
-The Academy-was Plato's school
-He thought that if you filtered your thoughts that you would be on a higher level of thinking than other people without a filter were
-Came up with the concepts of atlantis,hell,and he had meny other thoughts and theories
-The Republic is one of Plato's most famous books
-What makes a Tyrant
-Tyrants start out really nice and makes everyone love and trust them
-When a war or something starts then they become tyrannical and does whatever He thinks is best or whats going to get him ahead.
-the tyrant will get rid of thoes who speak out or try to defy him
-Government & Men
-Belived that the government changed with the type of men who were in it
-Should man dictate government type or government dictate the man?
-Philosophere King
-Open minded to people
-Courteous and kind
-Can't be jealous of anything
-Be truthful and wise and belives
-Must ONLY disire knowledge because if he does it will corrupt him
-Government & Tyranny

-Each type of gov. makes rules that benefit the people in power more than benefiting the people.

-Tyrants do things to benefit themselves

-Plato describes his utopia of a gov. to be communistic where everyone works together

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Aristotle: 387-322B.C.

-His father was a phascian to the royal family so therefore he was of high stature

-Studied at The Academy

-He was forced out of Athens because he was a Spartan during the war between Sparta and Athens.

-Went to Asia minor after Athens;friennds with King Hermies and married his niece

-Became King Hermies advisor

-Moved to Pella to help King Phillip but instead became his son's (Alexander the Great) tutor

-Went back to Athens because he wanted to leave his mark there

-Started a more casual walking school- The Lyceaum

-When Alexander the Great died there was a huge backlash and he had to leave again

-Aristotle belived that you actually have to work,study,read,ect. to be able to think

-More scientific but still was philisophical and studied sycology

-Wrote what people's purpose was - Metaphyical

-Humans have to build and work for things they wont just be given to them

-Idea whole univers was centerd around the Earth

-Earth, fire, water, air as elements was his idea

-Purpose of heavens and earth

-Wrote Politics

- Oligarchies and division of common people

-Needs classes to separate gov.

-People have to earn thier spots in gov. and rights to be a citizen

-Rulers and thier subjects

-Socrates laws and philosophy had part in gov.

-Considers rulers and subjects to be alittle different but they have to have divison

-Best forms of democracy

-Pastoral culture works best

-People with special abiliteis are in power

-Pastoral people dont really care and follow orders well

-Constitution

-Have many social classes

-Rich pick the leaders

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-Plato belives that some people are borrnbetter than others rather than Aristotle who belives that people should work for their stature. This is shown throughout their works. Also where they came from seems to have an effect on what they belive. Plato belives that people are born with power and aristcrocey. He also was born into a wealthy family that had money and aristcrocey. On the other hand, Aristotle was not born into wealth but his father obtained a job as a physcian to the royal family. So his father worked his way up to his social status rather than being born into it.