Plato and Aristotle: philosophical foundations and differences

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 a difficulty in men living together and having all human relations in common, but especially in their having common property." Aristotle offers two main arguments to promote his opinion. The first is based largely on semantics and therefore misses the point Plato was attempting to make in his Republic. Aristotle's defense of private property is weakest in this respect: that which is held in common by the state is consequentially shared by all citizens. Even women and children come under the rubric of shared property, because Plato believed firmly in utopian ideals. Plato's views on population control are based on the fundamental notion that the ideal society is created by assuring the survival of the fittest. Naturally, if private consumption and willful reproduction is allowed, that utopian ideal can never be met. Therefore, Aristotle's promotion of private property runs counter to the creation of a just society because private property invites greed, strife, and selfishness.

Plato's socialistic views ascribe to the ideal society, one in which justice is ever-present. Private property by definition invites injustice and inequality because it places too much power in the hands of the owners, who may not have righteous discretion. Especially among the working classes, the citizens who are not members of the guardian class, private property is dangerous. The multitudes do not naturally know what is best for them in terms of government; nor can they perceive the most just use of their personal belongings. Women fall into this category by necessity, because they control the means of reproduction. All children being born have the potential to become great men (or women). However, reproduction is a privilege, not a right. If Aristotle agrees that only certain people have the potential to rule justly, properly, and with wisdom, then he must also agree with Plato that reproduction must be controlled strictly.

Aristotle, who finds difficulty in the concept of common ownership on the basis that it is difficult to define, also believes that private property is taken care of better than property held in common: "that which is common to the greatest number has the least care bestowed upon it," (Book 2, Part III). This is an outright fallacy and baseless in truth. In Plato's ideal Republic, citizens are working together to create common bonds of unity. Their ideals are shared; there would be no reason to neglect property held in common because it would be detrimental to the entire state as well as to each individual member. Likewise, there is no reason why private property would be valued any more by its individual owner than it would be by a collective. In fact, it makes more sense that the more people who hold a vested interest in a piece of property, the greater the chance that that property would be cared for. Time constraints, illnesses, and a host of other issues can arise in an individual's life that would prevent him or her from properly caring for an item or piece of land. Public ownership ensures that all property will be highly valued by as many people as possible.

The second major flaw in Aristotle's Politics lies in his criticism of Plato's guardian class. Aristotle also seems to ascribe to the importance of aristocracies, and like Plato believes in the primacy of education for the ruling class. Therefore, there is no reasonable ground for his disagreement on this issue. However, Aristotle erroneously believes that it is possible for the guardian class to be equal in education and in spirit with the common people. This runs counter to the definition of the guardians and also runs counter to reason, for the guardians are through their superior intellect and dedication to service removed from the common people. Moreover, Aristotle's assumption that the concept of the guardian class "makes the same persons always rule" is false (Book 2, Part V). The same type of person, one who is highly educated, well-trained, and morally upstanding, always rules; this is by no means the same as a hereditary monarchy or other system in which the same people rule regardless of their education and morality.