This is Aristotle's launching pad for his discussion of politics. To him, ethics and politics are matters of rational judgment, stemming from the natural inclinations of individual humans. This notion is reflected in Aristotle's analysis of the constitutional doctrines of some 158 cities. Essentially, he recognized that every state -- necessarily city states -- exist in unique sets of circumstances that act upon the universal forms of ethics in ways

Plato and Aristotle Metaphysics The idea of metaphysics is a complex idea that focuses on expanding beyond the mere realities of physics within the natural world. In a sense, this goes "beyond physics," in that the study of metaphysics is "devoted to matters that transcend the mundane concerns" expounded by those of practical scientists such as Einstein and Heisenberg (van Inwagen, Peter). So in a broad term, "metaphysics" attempts to delve deeply

Happiness is perhaps the most illusive, but most sought after mental state in life. Like all human experiences, happiness is also a very subjective state; different things make different people happy. This is why it is so difficult to say what happiness is, and why there has been so much disagreement among philosophers, who have nonetheless not been deterred from attempting to describe this elusive emotion. Both Plato and Aristotle

The first part is spirit, with Plato noting that spirit's job is to have courage and remain steady. The second part is the appetites, with their job being to have restraint and avoid excess. The third part is reason, with reason's job being to control both the spirit and the appetites. According to Plato, an individual's soul becomes virtuous when the three parts are all operating together effectively and

Plato and Aristotle Both Plato and Aristotle attempted to philosophically construct the ideal society and the most suitable form of government. Two of the main areas on which the two philosophers disagree are the importance of private property and on the need for a guardian class. Aristotle derides holding property in common on the basis that it is impractical. In Politics, Part V of Book 2, he states, "there is always

It is learned and is the outcome of both teaching and practice and the force of habit. Discuss Aristotle's doctrine of the mean The mean is the result of moral virtues being balanced within the individual. Aristotle saw the mean as the middle road to happiness. He argued that all of life is really an attempt to find the highest good. Pleasure is momentary, but happiness is an ethical state of