Aristotle and Plato's Soul and Knowledge

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the philosophies of Plato with those of Aristotle with an emphasis on the differences between each philosopher's view of the soul and knowledge. The writer shows how Aristotle's view of the soul is superior to Plato's view of the soul because it deals with a more complex soul.

From the Paper:

"In The Apology and The Phaedo, Plato uses his mentor Socrates to express his views about many different philosophical ideas. These two scenes occur during the trial of Socrates and during the time before his death. In The Apology, Socrates is on trial and is defending himself against his accusers, which charge him with corrupting the youth and not believing in the Gods. It is during this time that Socrates agues for the existence of the soul and the body. Plato develops his idea of the soul further in The Phaedo, which presents the scene of Socrates's death. He uses this scene to discuss the topics that were raised earlier in The Apology. Aristotle in Nicomachean Ethics develops his ideas of the soul. The soul's complexity, for Aristotle, demonstrates better how the soul relates to knowledge justly, particularly when compared to Plato's justification of the knowledge the soul has."

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