Dialogue_Between_Plato_and_Aristotle

Dialogue between Plato and Aristotle PHI/105 January 13th, 2012 Cynthia Carter As the students file into the auditorium of Plato’s Academy the first thing that we all can notice is the two professors that were standing at the front of the room. After they realize all the students are all seated that is when the first professor took a few steps forward to address the class. Plato: Good Morning Students! Students: Good Morning Professor! Plato: Many of you may know who I am and then there are those of you that do not. For those of you that do not know who I am, my name is Plato. I founded this Academy in 387 and it is the first of its kind. I have studied under many great philosophers such as Cratylus and Socrates. After Plato got done speaking he took a few steps back and the gentlemen standing to the left of him took a few steps forward and addressed the class. Aristotle: Good Morning Student! Students: Good Morning Professor! Aristotle: Like Plato there are many of you that know me and there are those of you that do not. So I will introduce myself to those of you that do not know me. My name is Aristotle. I was a pupil of Plato’s. I have also tutored Alexander the Great. I am here today to help Plato talk about his lesson for today. Plato: For today’s class Aristotle and I are going to discuss our ideas on the Theory of Form and the Theory of Knowledge. All questions will be held for the commencement of today’s class. Now we will talk about the Theory of Forms and the Theory of Knowledge. Plato: When we discuss Forms we are not talking about something that is truly real but something that we would see or grasp intellectually. The idea of it is that what you are looking at may not be the true form of which you are looking at it. When you draw a circle even when using something that seems to have a perfect circular shape that does not mean that the final product that you come up with will be a perfect circle. For the Greeks they developed circularity which to them seemed as if they were developing something that could exist in the physical world but in all actuality circularity cannot and does not exist in the physical world because circularity is just an example of a Form. Aristotle: My view on forms is that no matter which way you look at them they are and always will be universal. When you look at all the different things that are out there in this world there are many that can be the same color, the same size and can be just as beautiful as the next object. The only thing is, is that as humans, there is only one of us so therefore we are not universals but we are particulars. Plato: But what about when you are looking at two things that are just as equally beautiful but they are two totally different objects or things this is yet another example of a Form. This is because beauty is not something that we encounter directly in our physical world. But we rather are participating in the form that we are calling beauty. There are only two realms and these are the sensible, changing and particular things and the other realm is that of a completely separate yet superior realm of eternal, fixed and unchanging Forms. This superior realm is what the particular things then owe their reality too. Aristotle: The only problem with that theory is that when it comes to Forms they are only found within particular thins which is an total embodiment of the Form and that of matter. You have to look at the reasoning and the aspect of one thing to another. Thus, finding how it is specially different from that of something else. Plato: Now Aristotle you are forcing the conversation to jump from the Theory of Forms to the Theory of Knowledge, just by your last statement. The Theory of Knowledge is the reason of knowledge that is more than just what our sense perception makes it to be. This is because our existence alone is what cuts across several sense all at the same time. Aristotle: The chains of all things that are related are what build’s up that composite picture of what the things are but this is based on what happens, cause and effect. This train of thought is what works great in the world we live in due to the fact that it is ever changing and so is the world we live in. Plato: What it comes down to is that true knowledge is that of which is truly real. This is because the objects that are of the true knowledge are just forms and that is because the objects of the sense perception are only real to a certain extent and that certain extent is only because they participate in the Forms. Hearing the chiming of bells we knew that, that signaled the end of the class. As we all made our way down to the front of the classroom were the professor stood we shock their hands before we all left the classroom that day. To say that I could pick one side over the other would be far from the truth. I am not sure who I would side with on the argument of either the Theory of Forms or the Theory of Knowledge. Both Plato and Aristotle have very good points of view and they state them very well. I believe that we are all part of something and that may mean we are part of a Form. Then there is the Theory of knowledge and Plato does have a good point that true knowledge are just forms. I truly believe both these men were very intelligent and state their points of views very well, but for me to have to chose which side of the argument I would go with I would not know because I believe them both to be right. References: Moore, B. N., & Bruder, K. (2011) Philosophy: The power of ideas. (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Plato, & Jowett, B. (1901). Phaedo. Dialogues of Plato: With Analyses and Introduction; Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, NY, 363-447.