There are Different Types of Tyranny Fact
There is a type of tyranny for at least every type of government. When special interests are favored over the general will and the rule of the law, it is a type of tyranny.
Plato. Aristotle. and Other Greek Philosophers
Plato (428-347 BC), his teacher Socrates, Plato’s teacher Aristotle (384-322 BC), their Sophist opposition, and other key Greeks helped lay the foundation of most western knowledge.
Plato was an idealist, Aristotle a Realist, but both were polymaths and lecturers whose books lay the foundation of physics, philosophy, social science, and more.
Meanwhile they both argued more for philosophy (a love of wisdom) over sophistry (teaching for money and thinking one “already knows”).
Factoids tagged with "Plato. Aristotle. and Other Greek Philosophers"
Democracy is a Form of Government Where Power Originates With the Citizens Fact
Democracy is a form of government where power originates with the citizens, the citizens then either rule directly or delegate power to representatives.
Socrates Taught Plato, Who Taught Aristotle, Who Taught Alexander the Great Fact
Socrates was Plato’s teacher, Aristotle learned at Plato’s Academy, and Aristotle was the well-paid tutor of Alexander the Great.
The Greeks Founded the Basis of Utilitarianism and Consequentialism Fact
Although we can consider Jeremy Bentham the founder of modern Utilitarianism, and his successor John Stuart Mill the one who popularized it, early Greek philosophers like Aristotle, Aristippus and Epicurus presented the original Utilitarian / Consequentialist / Greatest Happiness theories.
Athens had a Democracy Fact
Classical Athens had a type of Direct Democracy that included direct voting on laws and election by lottery, but participation was limited to adult male citizens who owned land.
Politics Can be a Science Fact
Politics can be treated as a science (political science), but it must always seek data that can be confirmed by our senses (empirical evidence).
Nature Abhors a Vacuum Fact
Aristotle once postulated “horror vacui” (Nature Abhors a Vacuum). It turns out nature really can’t stand a perfect vacuum.
Sir Isaac Newton Discovered the Laws of Motion Fact
Sir Isaac Newton can be said to have discovered the laws of motion, but more accurately, he refined the work of Aristotle, Galileo, Descartes, and others.
There are Different Types of Good and Evil Fact
There are different types of good and evil. The way to understand the types of good and evil differs by culture and text, but we can find general similarities by looking at major works and belief systems.
Physics is Different than Metaphysics Fact
Physics is a branch of physical science rooted in math that asks “how does it work?” Metaphysics is a broad branch of philosophy that asks, “What is its true nature?”
Blog Posts tagged with "Plato. Aristotle. and Other Greek Philosophers"
What is Classical Liberalism?
Classical liberalism is the ideology of liberties, rights, individualism, reason, and tolerance that comes in a political and economic form.
Types of Conflict Theories
We explain Marx’s conflict theory and other conflict theories to show how tension between social, political, material, and other forces manifest.
A System of Categories of Being and Knowledge
We present a system of “logical, epistemological, and ontological categories of being and knowledge” (categories to place all empirical and rational concepts into).
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and Theory of the Forms Explained
We explain Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and Plato’s Theory of the Forms to help readers understand the essence of Plato’s overarching theory.
Plato’s Five Regimes
Plato discusses five regimes (five forms of government) in his Republic, Book VIII. They are Aristocracy, Timocracy, Oligarchy, Democracy, and Tyranny.
What is a Polity?
Classically speaking, the term Polity means “a state” (a group of people under a single social contract), but it also implies an “ideal state” (a Kallipolis).
How Democracy Leads to Tyranny From Plato’s Republic
In his Republic, Plato examines how Democracy can lead to Tyranny in a republic. We explain Plato’s theory as it pertains to democracy and tyranny.
What is Reason?
Reason is the application of “pure logic”, empirical evidence, experiment, and skepticism to find truths, facts, and theories (AKA “critical thinking”).
Where Does the State of Nature Argument Come From?
We often attribute the origin of the state of nature argument to Hobbes, but it can be traced to thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, and the Sophists in the 300s BC, and is then mused on by other early philosophers.
The Attributes of Government
Different types of government can be said to be based on a number of attributes like power source, power structure, and economic system.
Vices and Virtues Explained
We present a list of vices and virtues and look at vices and virtues as understood by philosophers like Aristotle and Aquinas.
Types of Governments
We explain and list the types of governments. We cover the basic classical forms of government, the many types of governments that can be derived from the classical forms, and the actual forms of governments in practice.
Social Contract Theory and the State of Nature
Social Contract Theory is the theory of why people form governments based on how people lived in a State of Nature before government.
Essentialism vs. Existentialism
Essentialism is the idea that everything has an essence (something that “makes it, it”). Existentialism says there is no essence (no intrinsic meaning that can be confirmed by the senses or reason).
Plato Vs. Aristotle (Politics)
Plato can be understood as the father of rationalism and political philosophy (political idealism), and Aristotle, his student, the father of empiricism and political science (political realism).
Political Realism Vs. Political Idealism
Political realism is dealing with politics as they are in reality, political idealism is dealing with politics as an ideal.
Wealth and Income Inequality
We explain economic inequality from a historical perspective, and then consider the effects of wealth inequality and income inequality in America today.
The Branches of Philosophy Overview
The major branches of philosophy can be denoted as: metaphysics (what is), epistemology (what we can know), logic and reason, ethics and morality, and aesthetics (beauty and art).
The Point of Life is Happiness
We present a discussion on “the meaning of life as happiness,”the Greatest Happiness Theory,” “the Good Life,”the Pursuit of Happiness,” and Virtue Theory.
Arete Explained
Areté roughly means “moral virtue”. It refers to an innate “excellence” or “essence” in all things, and the striving toward that potential or purpose.
Blog Posts tagged with "Plato. Aristotle. and Other Greek Philosophers"
The Philosophy Behind the Types of Governments
The Philosophy of Governments It can be very attractive to have a list of government types, but yet that list may teach a person very little. Here instead is a look at the philosophy behind the government types that create that list. For a simpler list and look, see our page on “the types of . . . read more
Book Reviews tagged with "Plato. Aristotle. and Other Greek Philosophers"
Plato’s Republic Explained
Plato’s Republic attempts to define “justice”, show why we should be just, and relate this to an ideal form of government which best fosters justice in the State and Soul.