PLATO AND

ARISTOTLE

By Mrs. Hessa Aljurais

 PLATO
•The Greek philosopher Plato laid the foundations of Western philosophy
• Most of Plato’s philosophy is explained in a dialogue form. Socrates is usually cast as the main
speaker. Socrates was the teacher of Plato but he never wrote his philosophy down. What we have
is a dialogue written by Plato and said by Socrates. It was about Socrates speaking to people and
asking them questions to open their minds and let them think
•one of his famous books is Republic in which he discusses some important theories as the theory of
form and the ideal society which will be explained in details

By Mrs. Hessa Aljurais

 THEORY OF
FORM
•Plato sees the familiar world of objects which surrounds us, and which we perceive through our
senses, are not independent or real but as dependent upon another world, the realm of pure forms
or ideas, which only can be known by reason and not by our bodily senses-perceptions.
•Plato says that the quality of any object in the physical world is derived from the ideal forms. An
object in the physical world is beautiful because it partakes of the ideal form of Beauty which exist
in the higher realm. (what we have in our physical world that we can feel in our senses is not true
or real it is only an imitation of the ideal abstract form)

By Mrs. Hessa Aljurais

 THE TWO REALMS
OF FORM
Non-Physical form:
Physical form: • Perfect
• Imperfect • Eternal
• Transnet (changes or not • Invisible (use knowledge and
mind)
eternal)
• Visible (use our senses) • Non extended (not a copy of
anything. One form only and it
• Extended ( a copy not the real
can be copied in different ways
original form. It is a shadow)
and qualities in the physical
world.

• According to Plato, there are two realms, one is real and authentic which is the realm of
mind and ideas that is invisible. The other realm is the physical realm that we can see by
using our sense and it is not authentic but a copy and a shadow.
• Form is the ultimate nature of reality.
• Ex: what makes an apple an apply? It is the apple-ness. What we have in hand is an
appearance of truth not the truth itself that is why it may change; it is not eternal.
Another example is “myth of the cave” (page 12). Also, the triangle (page11) By Mrs. Hessa Aljurais
THE IDEAL By Mrs. Hessa Aljurais

SOCIETY “UTOPIA”
•Plato suggested an ideal society that has justice, and that society is divided into three groups (producers –
guardians – philosophers)
• The wisest of the guard will be selected to get more education and became
part of the ruling class.
• They are the brain of the society and the decision makers and they are loyal
philo to their society
soph • They should be monitored and taught from a very young age
Guardians ers •
•
Both male and female can be guards
If they have a child, it will be taken from them so they will not bitty their child
or be loyal to their family instead of their society. There is no private property
Needed to defend the state

Producers • They cannot change their job that it is meant to be for them. Ex: a
house builder cannot change his job into a painter or a farmer.
The money makers and the workers

•After following this division, we will have wisdom, courage, moderation then we will meet justice that will
make the ideal society perfect
•In order to make people satisfied with their position in the society, they created a myth, and they treaded it as
a truth which is that human are burn with a mixture in their souls. People with gold mixture belong to the
philosopher group, those with silver mixture belong to the guardians, and those with iron mixture belong to
 PLATO AND
POETRY
•Plato believes poetry is dangerous for his ideal society:
1. Poet imitates what he sees or feels in the physical world which is in fact is not true and authentic, it is
only an imitation of the realm of abstract idea. Poetry is only an imitation of imitation.
2. The poet ,as all agreed, were inspired. This ,Plato felt, was enough to damn them, for is not truth arrived
at by reason. Because poets do not depends on reasons and ideas but on inspiration. The poet speaks not
from knowledge but from inspiration.
3. Poetry creates soft, art-loving personalities, led like sheep. (poetry makes people as animals without
minds, controlled by passion). Poetry feeds and waters passions
4. Poets cannot be trusted as teachers. Poetry presents afterlife as a shadowy and unpleasant place. Young
men should be taught to die bravely for their country with the promises of reward afterlife . Poetry makes
young people cowards and fearful of death.
5. Poetry provides poor examples to be followed. Poets do not teach good citizenship. Not only they lie
about the gods, but they represent men as doing unworthy things
6. Poets are not credible sources for morality By Mrs. Hessa Aljurais
 PLATO AND
POETRY
•Is there then to be no song, no poetry in the ideal society?
Some, but only that written under control of the rulers. Music which makes for good military
discipline; hymns to the gods and praises for good men. But even this official poetry cannot be
written by anyone. Only by political reliable persons. Poetry should be written by philosophers

By Mrs. Hessa Aljurais

 PLATO VS.
ARISTOTLE
•Aristotle was a students of Plato. Both of theme are from Greek. Their ideas about poetry and poets and contradictory:
1. Plato believes in the inferiority of poetry and art since it is an imitation of an imitation whereas Aristotle sees poetry as
having a positive function in the political state and or the achievement of virtue and practical wisdom. Also, he thinks
that imitation is important and we achieve wisdom and knowledge by imitation. Imitation is important for learning.
2. Aristotle is also careful to answer Plato’s metaphysical objection that poet in imitating object ,which is another
imitation, is two steps away from truth. Aristotle points out that poetry id more universal than things as they are. “it is
not the function of the poet to relate what has happened, but what may happen – what is possible according to the law
of probability or necessity”
3. Aristotle agrees with Plato that reason has access to a higher knowledge that our senses , he insists that senses are the
starting point and the source of knowledge.
4. For Plato, the pleasure that comes from imitation is dangerous and undermine the civic virtues. Aristotle claims that it
is natural to imitate and to get pleasure from imitation. Man is imitative animal and takes pleasure from imitation
5. Plato sees the poet as a mad person who is dangerous for his society while Aristotle thinks that a poet is a gifted man
rather than madman.
6. Plato is idealistic while Aristotle is realistic.
By Mrs. Hessa Aljurais
ARISTOTLE'
S POETIC
•Aristotle was a student of Plato, and in his book Poetic, he discusses his view of tragedy and of poetry.
Aristotle's definition of tragedy:
tragedy is an imitation of an action that is admirable, complete, and possesses magnitude, in language made pleasurable…
performed by actors, not through narration, effecting through pity and fear the purification of such emotion.
Aristotle’s definition of the tragic hero :
A man who is not eminently good and just, yet his misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or
frailty.
Catharsis:
Means pity and fear. We achieve purification through pity and fear.
Recognition:
Moments of understanding and realization
The unity of the play:
According to Aristotle, a tragedy must have unity in time, place and action
1. Unity of time: the play should not succeed 24 hours
2. Unity of place: the play should be in one location
3. Unity of action: on side stories or sup-plot. Only single action By Mrs. Hessa Aljurais
 ARISTOTLE’S
TRAGEDY
•Six elements of tragedy:
1. Plot: it is the most important element and it is the soul of the tragedy
2. Characters: it is the second important element. The character has to be good, moral, realistic, various, and
constant .
3. Thought: it means what is the message in the play
4. Diction: it means the language and the word choice and the way of speaking. Ex: proSe, verse, rhyme rhythm.
The language should be pleasurable and not so difficult.
5. Melody: it is music and sound in the play.
6. Spectacle: it means the visual elements in the play like customs, light..etc. other aspects in the play are more
important like the plot and characters.

By Mrs. Hessa Aljurais