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”

Plato as ＂Idealist,＇ and Aristotle as ＂Realist＂ （？） -Reflecting the idea and the ousia in View of Comparative Philosophy

One can see often in explanations of encyclopedia or lexicons of philosophy that Plato manifested primarily the absolute Idealism, whereas Aristotle verified antagonistically the relevance of realism. It is easy to pick up several parts of their representative works and prove that this thesis is corresponded to the original of Plato and Aristotle. But, in reflections of philosophy, we should not ignore a cautious view, focused just on this starting point： If the above mentioned thesis is used like a slogan, ＂Plato for idealism, Aristotle for realism,＂ as it often is, in the meantime there arises a dogmatic position which fixes our mental and intellectual activity only within the frame, so that everyone begins to reflect on Plato or Aristotle from that starting point in a certain framework. A critical and self-critical view of philosophy may bring this position for a query.

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.

Changing Aristotle＇s Mind and World： Critical Notes on McDowell＇s Aristotle

Aristotle＇s Nicomachean Ethics is central to John McDowell＇s classic Mind and World. In Lectures IV and V of that work, McDowell makes three claims concerning Aristotle＇s ethics： first, that Aristotle did not base his ethics on an externalist, naturalistic basis （including a theory of human nature）; second, that attempts to read him as an ethical naturalist are a modem anachronism, generated by the supposed need to ground all viable philosophical claims on claims analogous to the natural sciences; and third, that a suitably construed Aristotelian conception of ＂second nature＂ can form the basis of a viable contemporary philosophy of mind, world, and normativity. This paper challenges each of these three claims. Aristotle＇s ethics, we will claim alongside Terence Irwin, Bemard Williams, Philippa Foot, and many premodem commentators, is based in the kind of physics, metaphysics, and metaphysical biology that McDowell says it cannot be. Historically, we will argue that McDowell＇s argument that Aristotle＇s ethical reasoning is ＂autonomous＂ or ＂self-standing＂ is distinctly modem, citing evidence from the leading medieval commentators on the Nicomachean Ethics. The felt need to which McDowell responds, of reading Aristotle＇s ethical or political thought as wholly non-metaphysical, arises from out of the successes of the natural sciences in the modem world, which he agrees discredit the Aristotelian, teleological account of nature. In the final part of the paper, we propose that McDowell＇s account of normativity, rooted in the non-metaphysical ＂second nature＂ he reads into Aristotle, we will contend, is as it stands inescapably relativistic. On a different note, we need also to recognize, as McDowell does not, that this is a new Aristotle, one shaped by our requirements and space of reasons, not the mind and world of the Greek Philosopher himself.

Images and Words： Aristotle＇s Mimesis Revisited in the Unique Visual Work of Antonis Panagopoulos

My subject is the notion of mimesis as conceived and formulated by Aristotle, since his philosophical theory diverged from the metaphysical domain of platonic ideas. It is known that for Plato the sensible world is one of deception and lies; therefore, the artist does nothing but to imitate the imitation of sensible objects. He is a cheater who intends to delude humans by his ability to re-present reality mimetically. On the contrary, Aristotle approaches positively the mimesis of the sensible world because he considers it as a creative and productive action of the human soul. Sensible beings, according to Aristotle, including works of art, encompass in themselves their intelligible essence, so they don＇t have to imitate any ideas outside themselves. Consequently, mimetic art in Aristotle＇s universe of thought is an inherent inclination to poetics founded in truth and reason; it always elaborates consciously its objects; and it furthermore signifies a learning process demanding systematic knowledge and meticulous method, though its roots are found in human instincts. Taken all the above as granted, this paper is also an attempt to evaluate in aesthetic level the visual works of art by Antonis Panagopoulos, a Greek artist very much influenced by Ancient Greek Philosophy, mostly by Aristotle. Since the 1990＇s, he has started an art project named ＂Espace de Memoire,＂ in which he examines and articulates various ways of perceiving and cognitively constructing a work of art on the fiat surface of the canvas.

Aristotle and Hollywood： Dramatic Structure From Ancient Greece to Avatar ＆ Beyond

It is fascinating to realize that even while Hollywood continually comes up with incredible special effects in films such as Avatar （2009）, the basic structure and development closely ＂follows＂ the guidelines for drama and storytelling laid out by Aristotle in his The Poetics, written several thousand years ago. We are specifically speaking of three act （beginning, middle, and ending） structure, focusing more on plot than character, and the need for a final resolution （catharsis）. But throughout literary and cinematic history, not everyone has followed these rules. Ironically, we take a close look at the award-winning Greek director Theo Angelopoulos＇ Ulysse＇s Gaze （1995） staring Harvey Keitel, as an example of a very non-Aristotelian approach to filmmaking and storytelling. Angelopoulos＇ film is character rather than plot centered on the Harvey Keitel figure and the journey of the narrative can be broken down to between 8-10 acts, depending how you describe them. We discuss many of the standard American ＂how to write screenplay book＂ authors such as Syd Field, while bringing a variety of authors such as Lajos Egri （The Art of Dramatic Writing） who criticize both Aristotle＇s Poetics and the way it has been interpreted for centuries especially in Hollywood. We conclude that there is a middle ground as well, for while Casablanca （1942） has a clear three act structure, it does not give us a happy romantic ＂Hollywood＂ ending/resolution as Rick insists that Lisa leave with her husband.

Aristotle＇s Account of Philia/Amiability

The purpose of my paper is to show that the virtue which Aristotle calls philia, not in the strong sense of friendship, but in the weaker one of amiability （cf. NE 1126b 10-1 i 27a 12）, represents a particular kind of bond, related to the fact of being part of a community, and therefore has a very strong relationship, although the two do not coincide with that kind of friendship which Aristotle calls politike philia （civic friendship）. My thesis, then, is that there is a strong relationship, among Aristotelian ethical works, between philia/amiability, like-mindedness （homonoia）, and politike philia. The key to discovering this link is the Aristotelian account of social relations： in Aristotle＇s opinion, the polls is not a commercial alliance, as if it were a public limited company, in which the common good depends on the fact that everyone has a strong economic interest in the company, but is a common life in which citizens are concerned about each other＇s moral goodness. The link between them is therefore a kind of friendship, which is of course civic and therefore does not presuppose love. In the political context, the knowledge of the nature of the constitution, in fact, is a sufficient condition for there being benevolence towards other citizens. Since philia/amiability shows deep analogies with homonoia as well, for both represent, in different ways, peculiar features of the citizenship, the thesis I want to support is not that philia/amiability, homonoia, and politike philia coincide, but that philia/amiability and homonoia are two different expressions of the same disposition, namely politike philia： according to my view, the former is the expression ofpolitike philia on a relational and moral side, while the latter represents the attitude of the citizens towards each other when implicated in political decisions.

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.