8/20/2019 CLAP-9-10-13

1/1

9. Aristotle’s critique of Plato

Artistotle’s thinking: realism and empiricism instead of Plato’s idealism

Main goals:

States are pluralistic by nature (many indiiduals!" so there is no commonsolution for eeryone

#amily politics: see aboe$ indiiduals %ould be unhappy instead of adding to thecollectie happiness

#inances of the &arden 'lass: umans are by nature greedy (Aristotle acceptsthis trait of the human character instead of taming it like Plato suggested! )*communist ideas %ould cause trouble" e.g. the free)rider problem

'ritique in general: Plato’s state is in+e,ible (al%ays the same rulers!$ publichappiness does not %ork for each indiidual (meaning that citi-ens in Plato’s

state %ould be unhappy!$ if Plato’s ideas %ere so good" %hy has no one elsemade them reality yet &omen as emotional beings should do house%ork insteadof caring about public problems

/0. 1n+uence of democracy on philosophy

 2he attic democracy made it necessary to think about indiidual alues such asfreedom and indiidual and collectie interests$ as some people criticiseddemocracy for taking indiidual freedom to far this %as also a starting point ofmore discussions follo%ing

/3. Plato" 2he 4a%s

5ialogue bet%een 3 old men talking about a ne% colony named Magnesia

Aret6 (irtue! of the citi-ens is the highest alue in the state (see Politeia!

5isadantages of the one)sided goernments (tyranny" democracy! should beaoided )* Plato suggests a double method of legislation: there should be anelite reigning the state" but 7ustice and irtue should make the citi-ens sticktogether" this %ould be a blending of democracy and monarchy

Analaogy of the free doctor: he only gie his patients adice" but no medicationuntil they follo% his adice )* ideal of the ruling class

People should not sere the la%s 8as slaes" as it has been the case before" butthey should desire the status of a citi-en in e,actly this state$ 4a% is anincarnation of understandingreason" so it should be used as a method ofeducating citi-ens to become good

 ;ustice: 1s good as a alue itself and through its consequences

#reedom: 1s only good if the freedom of choice leads to good choices