Greek Ideal
Philosophy has always been central to the Greek culture. "The Love of Wisdom", as translated from Greek, the art and the science of philosophy was born in ancient Greece and since then has found its way to Western and other civilizations. In a process of a never-ending inquiry into the subjects of science and humanities, philosophers were affecting multiple aspects of every day life. Their urge to obtain answers to questions that were central to human existence has influenced perceptions of arts, politics, ethics, as well as many other disciplines. Theories that were obtained from such wisdom-full investigative process were subjected to the critique of others and at the end idealized as widely accepted standards. Greek ideal, combination of idealized ancient Greek philosophies, has thus been formed. People united theories to apply them when deciding whether a particular society fits the Greek ideal. Some of the most prominent philosophers, who have contributed to defining the Greek ideal were Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Central to their schools of thought was concern with an ideal State. Concerned with the same goal, all three philosophers are arriving to similar definitions of ideal.
intellectual fulfillment" (Stumphf, 105). Aristotle wrote that while both work and leisure were necessary in the good life, the more important was leisure. He concluded that since leisure is necessary both for the development of excellence and the performance of political duties, "the citizens should have leisure and not have to provide for their daily wants" (Stumpf, 106). Labor is necessary for the existence of the individual and the state. Yet the life of excellence, which all free men should lead, occurs only during leisure. Thus as the tide of work flows in, leisure ebbs, eroding the good life the citizens of Athens should lead. Aristotle concluded, then, that in the best state "the citizens must not lead the life of artisans or tradesmen . . ." (Stumphf, 108). Socrates also believed in man's true happiness, which is what is in man's best interest, not just something that will make him temporarily happy, such as alcohol. He believed that the State was where man would be truly happy. Aristotle, who believed that the State was substantial, did not create a blueprint of the ideal State like Plato did. Plato who thought out an ideal State and created rules and regulations was more rational in his political views than Socrates and Aristotle. Even though all three philosophers were similar in their political beliefs about man not being self-sufficient and that man would be most happy in a State. Plato's ideal State made his political view easily understandable and more rational than Socrates who left behind no notes and Aristotle who did not create a blueprint for an ideal State. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle all believed that man needs to be part of a State in order to live a truly good life. For Plato, who concerned himself with the truly good life for man, it was imperative to determine the true function of the State. He believed that the State was crucial in order for man to live a good life. Plato wrote that "a proper government would lead to a peaceful
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Approximate Word count = 1340
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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