Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle

There are three great Greek philosophers that western civilization should thank for their heap of innovative methods and ideas. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle questioned the structure of democracy and made people evaluate their moral values and reasons for believing in them. Through a logical questioning and observations these great philosophers shaped of way to medicine, psychology, physics, philosophy, anatomy, and more.

Socrates in my opinion was a visionary that was slightly ahead of his time. The idea that you should guide a person to question their own assumptions rather instructing them directly can provide for a better learning experience. One of the philosophies I admire the most from Socrates was that he didn't know the true meaning of virtue but his wisdom consisted of him not knowing. To me this statement reminds me of the saying a man who knows something knows he knows nothing at all. This is something that I go by when it comes to an aspect of religion. An additional belief of Socrates that I agree with is that knowledge is connected to just behavior and understanding justice will help you live a happy life regardless of your circumstances. Socrates also held a concept that human life is guided by reason and focused on virtue not by dreams of personally gains. This idea I feel is much needed in society today where greed rules more than ones morality over all Socrates philosophies of individual excellence shows to me the common links between people of ancient Greece an today.

 Socrates' pupil Plato (c.429-348 B.C.E) had Forms that moral virtues are universal and absolute not relative these Forms lead way to metaphysics and established the concept of dualism. Plato had a perception of his ideal society that he left in his dialogue The Republic. These concepts showed that Plato believed that democracy could not provide justice only through hierarchy would justice prevail. The utopia that Plato envisioned from my view point seemed unrealistic. I disagree with the fact he would allow certain rights for specific people based on their knowledge and not work ethic on any other factor.

Aristotle (383-322 B.C.E) was a pupil of Plato who developed systems of logical argument and scientific investigations that established the difference between logically proven arguments and persuasive ones.  Aristotle's ideas where based on common sense opposite Plato he believed observation of a subject in their natural setting was the best way to understand it which is a method used today. Some of Aristotle's views I have a major problem with one being that slavery was natural and that people where slaves, because their souls lacked the rational part that rules in humans another being woman where inferior to men. I’m strongly against these views I believe that everyone should be born free no human should own another or anyone is automatically inferior to the other because of sex. The idea that I found most enlightening from Aristotle was that people should lean self control by training mind and not give in to passion or instincts and the conclusion that intellect is the finest human quality.