What is real

5 Pages 1198 Words

What is real? What gives life meaning? What happens when we die? These three questions are very common in today’s society. Everyone has different beliefs and their answers to these world view questions are different. Greek Philosopher’s, Aristotle and Plato (Socrates) had very different views and answers to these questions. What is real? Aristotle believed that for something to be real it had to have a substance and a form or a body and a soul. Our senses are also reality.
Now Plato (Socrates) on the other hand believed that reality is permanent and our senses can’t be trusted. He also believed immortal things are more real than the mortal. For example, Greek gods, immortal souls, and universals are more real than humans, animals, and plants that are considered mortal. What gives life meaning? According to Aristotle achieving the highest possible potential with our talents, to reason with our emotions and the “golden mean” which is everything in moderation gives life meaning.
Now Plato believed that education through a forty-four year program gives life meaning. Plato (Socrates) thought that everybody’s goal in life is, “We learned but forgot.” What happens when we die? Aristotle believed nothing happens when we die because to even exist you have to have a body and a soul. So if you die and your body leaves then you don’t exist because you don’t have both a body and a soul. Plato believed that when we die we are recycled. It is kind of like reincarnation but not quite. When you die you’re reborn but have lost all of your previous knowledge due to the trauma birth causes. This is where Plato’s goal in life ties in. We learned but our soul forgot when we are reborn.
Aristotle’s Notion of Virtue According to Aristotle, virtue primarily involves rationality and the use of a person's rationality. Rationality and happiness are activities of the soul, and virtue is the excellence of these activities. Humans are...