Not Athenian or a Stranger:The Veiled Critique of Aristotle in Plato’s Laws

Plato’s last dialogue,the Laws,occupies an anomalous position within his larger body of work.An individual identified as the“Athenian stranger”replaces Socrates and reverses key Socratic teachings,most notably by endorsing tyranny.Scholars conclude that Plato abandoned his earlier political recommendations in favor of a more pragmatic vision.In that case,the Laws should be treated as Plato’s definitive work,the ultimate statement of his thought,when in fact,much more attention is paid to earlier dialogues,particularly the Republic.The problem is resolved and the true significance of the Laws revealed when the text is read as Plato’s ironic critique of his brilliant-but-rebellious student,Aristotle.Reasoning from Aristotelian premises,the Athenian stranger arrives at conclusions that Platonists and Aristotelians alike would find unpalatable or absurd.The alleged rupture between Plato’s earlier and later work disappears.The esoteric writings that are thought to have been the product of Aristotle’s later career are shown to have emerged from ideas that Plato himself was familiar with and rejected.

The Connotation and Educational Significance of Aristotle’s Happiness Thoughts

The topic of happiness has been discussed by many thinkers since ancient times.The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle elaborated his view of happiness in terms of its connotation and manifestation,and the way it is achieved.Happiness is first of all a realistic activity in accordance with virtue,which can be obtained by people and embodied in their daily life.Happiness is not only personal happiness,but also the highest and broadest“supreme good”,which requires the joint efforts of the whole city-state.His profound philosophical exposition provides us with profound theoretical guidance for the development of happiness education today.

Shakespeare Inherits and Further DevelopsAristotle's Tragic Theor

本文结合亚里士多德的悲剧理论 ,探讨了莎士比亚悲剧创作对亚氏理论的继承和发展。并从悲剧的主要根源、悲剧人物和悲剧效果三方面对莎士比亚的若干悲剧进行分析 ,试在阐明莎氏的悲剧观。尽管同亚氏一样 ,莎士比亚同样重视剧中人物行为的发展与刻画 ,但他的作品更体现出人物性格是导致悲剧的主要原因 ;就人物而言 ,莎剧中主人公一般都是善良并有许多优点的 ,但不同于亚氏 ,莎士比亚的确承认这类主人公 ,如麦克白等 ,亚里士多德显然是把他们排除在悲剧之外的 ;在莎氏的笔下 ,亚里士多德“悲剧必须能引起怜悯与恐惧”

An Interpretation of Ben’s Function in Intensifying Willy’s Tragedy from Aristotle’s Poetics

The play Death of a Salesman is undoubtedly the most influential play of Arthur Miller which depicts a tragic life of Willy Loman, a travelling salesman, induced by his false American Dream of making a fortune out of business. Unlike many other essays focusing on the hero Willy, this one tries to explore Willy's dead brother Ben's function in this play so as to demonstrate that Ben plays an important role in Willy's life by making Willy's life more tragic in terms of Aristotle's tragic theory. The first part of the essay illustrates Ben's importance to Willy and the second part centers on the way Ben pushes Willy to a more tragic situation.

Interpreting the Merits In Aristotle's Poetics

Aristotle's Poetics represents the first major work of literature criticism. In this masterpiece,Aristotle expresses his literary and aesthetical theories. By introducing the merits in Aristotle's Poetics,this thesis tends to reveal Aristotle's large and enduring influence on modern literary criticism.

Aristotle's Tragedy Theory and Its Application in the Analysis of A Dream of Red Mansions

Aristotle's theory of tragedy is advocated by many western scholars and has exerted tremendous influence on the modern play writing and tragic studies. The present thesis will use the theory of Aristotle to analyze the tragic plot in"A Dream of Red Mansions"in order to investigate whether there is any similarity between Chinese and western tragedies.

The Problem of Qualia and Knowledge in Plato and Aristotle

This paper sparks the debate of qualia and knowledge in the works of Plato and Aristotle. The debate on the relevance and logical chronology of qualia and knowledge has been an implicit tension in the works of Plato and Aristotle. However, we seldom find scholars exploring these aspects of Plato-Aristotle philosophy and connecting it to the contemporary debate of qualia. It is on this account that this paper re-examines Plato and Aristotle’s debate on the relevance of qualia to knowledge and how this debate has influenced theories relating to sense data. The core objective of this paper is to resurrect the debate of qualia and knowledge in the works of the legends as a way of contributing to the contemporary problem of qualia as suggested by Clarence I. Lewis and others in mid-20th century.

A Comparison of the Poetic Thoughts between Plato and Aristotle

Aristotle differs from his teacher Plato in many ways.This paper will mainly make a comparative analysisoftheirpoetic thoughtsfromthree aspects:1)the origin of poetry;2)the relationship between poetry and truth;3)the functions of poetry.It is concluded that the differences in their poetic thoughts are fundamentally attributed to their differences in philosophical tendencies.

An Analysisof Pecolain The Bluest Eye Basedon Aristotle's Theoryof Tragedy

Based on the theory of tragedy in Poetics by Aristotle, this paper analyzes Pecola, a protagonist in The Bluest Eye written by Toni Morrison, from the four aspects of the"completeness"of plot, the"Reversal"and"Recognition"of plot, the Character and the tragic effect: pity and fear to prove that the theory of tragedy is still practical and conductive to the analysis of literary works even until nowadays.

Aristotle's Ethos Based on Analyses of English Speeches

Aristotle's traditional rhetoric theory is of great value to the study of language. This paper analyses English speeches from the perspective of ethos and sees how speakers apply ethos to reach the purpose of persuading.

Aristotle＇s Concept of Potentiality in Metaphysics Book θ

It is controversial whether δVVαμLζ in Metaphysics Book θ has two distinct senses, one of which is strict, called ＂power,＂ and the other is the ＂more useful sense,＂ called ＂potentiality.＂ This paper argues that there are indeed two senses of δVVαμLζ in Metaphysics θ, refuting Michael Frede＇s ＂unitarian interpretation.＂ Distinguished from power, potentiality is neither Aristotelian nature, nor possibility, nor capacity for being, but rather a way of being. This paper examines the ontological meanings and the features of potentiality as a way of being. Basically, potentiality has a dual status, that is, it is being, on the one hand, and not-being on the other. Furthermore, it has a teleological direction toward its correlative actuality, which explains how potentiality ontologically depends on actuality and why actuality is substantially prior to potentiality.

Three Different Approaches to Virtue in Business- Aristotle, Confucius, and Lao Zi

The proposed paper presents an overview on the matter of virtue from different philosophical angles. It concentrates on three different schools of thought coming from the West and the East and their respective concepts of virtue. These schools of thought and the therewith-associated personalities and works discussed in this paper are Aristotelian virtue ethics, Confucianism and Daoism. The paper focuses specifically on the Nicomachean Ethics （NE） by Aristotle, the Analects belonging to Confucianism, and the Dao De Jing coming from Daoism. The paper is divided into three major parts. First, the concept of virtue of each school is outlined. In the second part, the concrete virtues as such according to each school are explained. In the third part, these virtues are then applied in specific business contexts like business practice, corporate culture and leadership, illuminating each school＇s characteristic approach. The paper closes with a summary and conclusion. In the conclusion the paper outlines differences as well as similarities between Aristotelian and Confucian virtue ethics. Yet, the author generally takes a critical stance towards comparisons merely for the sake of finding similarities. Particularly between Aristotelian and Confucian virtue ethics there is a significant difference when it comes to the cultural and historical background of these schools, which should not be ignored. Besides, even within Chinese philosophy there are already significant differences when it comes to concepts and practice.

“Athl-Ethics”:Virtue Training in Mencius and Aristotle

The late Zhou of China and the Classical age of Greece both saw great impetus in intellectual thought and were marked by intense warfare. Being closely linked to warfare in antiquity, sports was a vital, commonplace activity whose jargon and practices naturally informed philosophical discourses. One can thus observe convergences between athletics and ethics in texts which took shape in these times and places, a phenomenon which I shall refer to as "athl-ethics." In this paper, I separately examine and then compare athl-ethic phenomenon in Mencius and in the Nicomachean Ethics. Both texts are rife with sports metaphors. I regard the use of sports-derived imagery as a thin form of athl-ethicism. Sports, however, did more than inspire useful analogies. Physical training and competition were considered occasions for nourishing and practicing virtue. This generated thicker forms of athl-ethicism.

Ethos and Habituation in Aristotle

This paper is concerned with Aristotle＇s theory of habituation, focusing on the following three issues： （1） the relation between habit and reason, （2） human nature and habituation, and （3） the roles of family and politics in habituation. Aristotle＇s theory of habituation has been a topic of interest recently. Yet so far, most debates about this topic are about the first issue. This paper will bring in the second and the third issues, in order to provide a complete picture of the theory. To be more specific, the paper seeks to better understand the following three claims of Aristotle, corresponding to the three issues mentioned above： （1） ＂We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts＂ （NE 1103a34-bl）1. （2） ＂We are adapted by nature to receive virtues, and are made perfect by habit＂ （teleuioumenois de dia tou ethous） （1103a25-26）. （3） ＂One＇s own good cannot exist without household management, nor without a form of government＂ （1142a9-11）.

Aristotle, the Intellect, and Cognition

It is argued in this paper that the famous ＂Active Intellect＂ of De Anima 3.5 is not God, as Alexander of Aphrodisias held, but rather an unchanging, eternally cognizing Intellect which serves as the indispensable condition for the operation of human intellect. It is ＂at the door＂ for each individual, ready to flow in as a stream of light--a light which renders potential objects of cognition knowable, just as visible light makes potentially visible objects visible--from outside that door （thyrathen） any time it is opened. Its existence cannot serve, however, as a proof of the immortality of human intellect, since, being unchanging, it can never possess a feature of human intellect which is characterized by nothing if not change, and that is memory.

The Wiseman and the Sage： Metaphysics as Wisdom in Aristotle and the Neo-Confucian School of Pdnciple

Among scholars of classical philosophy in the West, it is not uncommon to hesitate about the existence of metaphysics in non-Western philosophical traditions. At times, the dilemma seems due to culture-specific ideas or standards about what metaphysics is or how it should be done. Other times the problem seems to lie in a general lack of awareness about the methods and approaches of divergent philosophical traditions. This article explores an often ignored Aristotelian notion of metaphysics： That it is wisdom. If we acknowledge wisdom to be a common value or ideal found in different cultures, then characterizing metaphysics as wisdom promises to be more inclusive than prevalent ideas about it, being broad enough to allow for the appreciation of metaphysical insights and achievements in non-Western schools. I first examine Aristotle＇s account of what wisdom consists of. I shall then test the inclusivity of this conception of metaphysics by showing how its characteristic features are manifest in the Neo-Confucian ideal of sagely learning.

Aristotle＇s Immovable Movers： A Sketch

In keeping with a view that is explicitly formulated by Aristotle in his Motion of Animals, general kinetic principles must be specified according to the different types of movable entities existing in the universe. At issue, essentially, are the motions of the stars and the motions of animals. Whereas the cosmological immovable mover is the object of two complementary analyses （in Bk. Ⅷ of Physics and in Chs. 6 and 7 of Bk. Ⅻ of Metaphysics）, information on the immovability of the first mover responsible for animal motion is to be found in the psychological and psycho-physiological treatises （On the Soul, in Bk. Ⅰ, Chs. 3 and 4, and in Bk. Ⅲ, Ch. 10 and in Ch. 6 of the Motion of Animals）. But it is also found in Ch. 7, Bk. Ⅻ of the Metaphysics, in the very context of the argument concerning the absolutely first immovable mover of the world. This suggests that the two types of motion, that of the stars and that of animals, however distinct the arguments about them are, rest on a single scheme, and maybe even on a common principle. This is liable to surprise us, as much as stars and animals appear to us to belong to heterogeneous orders of reality. But the situation is different for Aristotle, who, as attentive as he is to differences, tends nonetheless to conceive the stars as living things of a particular kind. This fact is the source of a series of difficulties that Aristotle generously left for his many commentators to solve. Aim of this text, which was initially directed to a larger audience, is to set some of these complex issues in both simple and up to date terms.

Complete Virtue and the Definition of Happiness in Aristotle

In this paper,I challenge the standard reading of complete virtue ((α)ρετ(η) τελε(ι)α) in those disputed passages of Nicomachean Ethics and Eudemian Ethics.I argue that,for Aristotle,complete virtue is neither (i) wisdom nor (ii) a whole set of all virtues.Rather,it is a term used by Aristotle to denote any virtue that is in its complete or perfect form.In light of this reading,I offer a pluralist interpretation of Aristotelian happiness.I argue that for Aristotle,the life-long exercise of a predominant virtue—as long as it is exercised in its complete or perfect form—will suffice for human happiness.The so-called inclusivist and intellectualist notions of Aristotelian happiness,thus understood,are merely two forms (viz.the composite and the non-composite form) of the pluralist notion of Aristotelian happiness.And if I am right,my pluralist interpretation provides an alternative,if not better,solution to the long-standing problem of "dual happiness" in Aristotle.

Creating Character： Aristotle on Habituation, the Cognitive Power of Emotion, and the Role of Prudence

For Aristotle creating a virtuous character means habituating a stable emotional state or disposition （hex＆）, which enables the agent to feel and act rightly, and to have the intellectual virtue prudence （phron^sis） complete this habituation. But because feeling or emotion （pathos） is a passive state, it is not clear in what way we can make ourselves be affected correctly. This paper tries to solve this apparent difficulty by emphasizing the cognitive power of emotion. It also examines the role of prudence in the acquisition of ethical virtue, supporting an anti-intellectualist understanding of practical motivation.

论古代的人类精神觉醒

公元前八至三世纪是人类精神的重大突破时期,各个文明出现了伟大的精神导师——古希腊有苏格拉底、柏拉图、亚里士多德,古印度有释迦牟尼,中国有孔子、老子等。他们提出的思想塑造了不同的文化传统,一直影响着人类的生活。德国哲学家雅斯贝斯将这一在人类精神文明的关键历史时期,称之为"轴心时代"。这个见解引起了学者们长期的思考和讨论。作为中国学者对雅斯贝斯的一次呼应,我国著名历史学家、北京师范大学刘家和教授撰《论古代的人类精神觉醒》一文,深入剖析古代印度、希腊和中国的人类精神觉醒的内涵、历史条件及其特点,并于1989年刊发在《北京师范大学学报》第5期,引起国内外学界的较大的反响,并为被多部论文集收录。近期,《孔学堂》杂志拜访刘先生时,他表示对人类自身存在的反省和精神的觉醒的研究是有趣的,二十多年过去了,新材料、新论点在国内外不断"面世",该论题的相关研究应该取得长足进展。征得刘家和先生的同意,本刊重载此文,以引起学界对该论题的进一步关注、思考和探讨。由于篇幅有限,现摘要刊载此文关于人类精神觉醒的特点探讨的部分。