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Compare Plato And Aristotle's Methodology

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Student Name: Kshitij Aditya Sharma
St. ID: 000802766
QUESTION: Compare Plato's with Aristotle's methodology. Make sure you include the following topics: Which research methods do they use? What is their view of reality? What is their theoretical view of the human being and society? What are their basic principles and methodological concepts?

ANSWER: Together with Socrates, Plato and Aristotle are the three great ancient Greek thinkers who are considered as some of the greatest luminaries in the field of philosophy and their ideas have shaped the course of intellectual thought for more than two millennia. Even though Aristotle was under Plato’s tutelage, the dichotomy between their thoughts is immense. As such, it is interesting to compare their philosophies.

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There is no “higher realm” of knowledge where it exists in its perfect form. It is only through using our senses and exercising reason that all knowledge can be attained and perfected. To make his point, Aristotle uses the example of colors. He argues that a blind person cannot have a perception of colors. It is only when we have senses, in this case eyes, that we can differentiate between colors or even know what colors are. Unlike the rationalists, Aristotle being an empiricist denies the idea that there is any innate knowledge.

For Plato, the truth is metaphysical and exists at the highest level of abstraction. It cannot be found in the physical realm or perceived with our senses. He says that not observation, but contemplation at a philosophical level can bring us closer to the truth. Everything on the earth is material, temporal, and perishable. But the ‘essence’ which is an immaculate conception is transcendental and permanent. It is for this reason that in the physical realm there can be diverse forms of the same object, but in the metaphysical realm, there is only one immaculate

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