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Great Thinkers

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1) Which of the great thinkers do you find the most accurate or persuasive in terms of their explanation of human nature, society, philosophy of education, war, the workings of the universe, or the meaning of life? Choose one of the thinkers and explain why their arguments are superior to one or more of the other thinkers. Also, you may want to explain how your thinker’s ideas can be applied to the present day in terms of understanding or solving contemporary problems.

GHUM 1038

Thomas Poniah

Enxhi Prushi

Table of Contents

1. Introduction Pg. 3

2. Evidence Pg. 3-4

3. Counter-Arguments Pg. 4-6

4. Conclusion Pg. 7

5.Citations. Pg. 8

Aristotle’s approach to philosophy is a little different from Plato’s. Aristotle was fascinated by the intellectual challenge of forming categories and breaking down forms of knowledge whether it were in writing or being performed in a play. Plato would elaborate on the central concern of love between men and gods, the proper kind of love that must be maintained to attempt to cure the kind of love that is dead (Plato pg. 880). With the knowledge gained from learning about Plato’s philosophy of love and Aristotle’s thirst to preach about how everything can be broken down into systems, I’m leaning toward Plato’s ways of thinking of human nature, and Love in a way but I want to say my heart is on Aristotle’s abstract systems yet direct dry ways.

From poetics, Aristotle would speak of the constituent parts of tragedy (Aristotle pg. 1149). These constituents consisted of Plot, Character, Language, Thought, Spectacle, and Melody. He describes them as two main points to begin a tragedy, which were Language and Melody. These would be the method, which in turn would affect the Spectacle, which he also claimed to be the manner or routine. (Aristotle pg. 1149).
Aristotle points out to the importance of plot in structuring tragedy. The characters, which are men, it comes secondary to plot or a life envolving of “action.” (Aristotle: 1149). Lastly would be plot, character, and thought which one can begin to recognize that for every drama or tragedy as he describes we can expect a spectacle, character, langu age, and all of these combined would inherently deliver the plot. (Aristotle: 1149).

(Aristotle: 1151) Now since in the finest kind of tragedy the structure should be complex and not simple, and since it should also be a representation of terrible and piteous events (that being special mark of this type of imitation), in the first place, it is evident that good men ought not to be shown passing from prosperity to misfortune, for this does not inspire either pity or fear, but only revulsion (disgust); nor stirs pity or fear (Aristotle: 1150). Aristotle describes that in any event the plot has to be delivered in a complex manner to instill fear or pity for the characters involved or for the story to keep one amused or entertained, clever way to persuade any aspiring writer or philosopher. (Aristotle: SEP 2014).

Hence that plot delivers purpose and it is the most significant part of a tragedy he claims that in a plot the beginning doesn’t necessarily come from something else, but the nature of something has to have a beginning in order to have an end (Aristotle: 1150). From what I am able to grasp in the concepts of Aristotle is that he applied his knowledge to the basics of the universe, and life itself. The nature of things from what I read is that in the tragedy of existence it had to have begun somewhere in order for reality to exist, and break it down into different slices in time (Aristotle: 1149). Slices that can be described as Plot which would be life, character which would describe the souls, and communication of language among the living, and consciousness would be to question its own beginning and why it has to have an end. Furthermore, what purpose does it serve in order for the spectacle to be amusing, teach the viewers living within the bubble of tragedy and therefore consequently have a happy or sad melody to be able to understand the reason for the plot in the first place. (Aristotle: 1149).

Plato’s Solemn speech of love where each of us is a “matching half” of a human whole where he describes that each of us is seeking the half that matches him. (Plato: 882). Love is born into every human being; it tries to heal the wound of human nature (Plato: 882). According to Plato’s understanding we used to be whole men/woman, men/men, and woman/woman until these species decided to retaliate against Zeus and Zeus split them as punishment. (Plato: SEP 2013). As he described each of us was like a flatfish, two out of one, and each of us is always seeking the other half. (Plato: 883). That’s why a man who is split from a woman, however pay no attention at all to men. They are oriented from a male are male-oriented. While they are boys, because they are chips off the male blocks, they love men and enjoy lying with men and being embraced by men. (Plato: SEP 2013).

To understand his views I’ve come to the realization that Plato was completely caught in his views of this kind of love. I want to elaborate on the fact that Plato wasn’t wrong in believing this but it was a way to explain their behavior and to describe the different types of love and the different types of men and how they influenced society and focus on politics and become great leaders. So men that were split for another man according to Plato, these men were more obliged to run countries, become leaders without concerns of having kids and chasing woman because they were comfortable with their male counterparts which symbolized their other perfectly matched halves.
(Plato: 882). Zeus took pity on men to men, and came up with another plan: he moved their genitals around to the front! Before then, you see they used to have their genitals outside, like their faces, and they cast seed and made children, not in one another, but in the ground, like cicadas (a large homopterous insect with long transparent wings, occurring chiefly in warm countries (Plato: 882). The male cicada makes a loud shrill droning noise by vibrating two membranes on its abdomen.) So Zeus brought about this relocation of genitals, and in doing so he invented interior reproduction, by the man in the woman. The purpose of this was so that, when a man embraced a woman, he would cast his seed and they would have children (Plato: 882). This then is the source of our desire to love each other. Love is born into every human being (Plato: 882). That being said, Plato was completely convinced this was the way. (Plato: 884) In order to understand love and his ways I have to admit it is indeed poetic and soft and full of hope to embraced love and that love is in all of us and it is our destiny to love each other (Plato: 887). It is perhaps the most gratifying piece of literature from Plato I’ve read thus far (Plato: 885). He was clearly a thinker in the way he wanted to transmit this knowledge among the coming young children and succeeded in many ways because many of his pupils became great thinkers as well and embraced their passion and delivered their wisdom among the later generations after Plato, and today’s society we always look back and learn what they had to say (Plato: 885).

To conclude my views on this journey of philosophical knowledge and groundbreaking theories on life and the nature of things, Plato was very solemn in his approach to love and the nature of humans and their purpose, Aristotle was yet abstract and direct if that makes sense. Plato was implicating his wisdom to a generation that revolved around the nature of love in all of us and believed that men who came from men were more inclined to succeed and lead others. Aristotle on the other hand was very abstract in my opinion, but as I read and embellished in his approach to poetry and describe his views in abstract ways that compelled me to withdraw my very own thinking and take my thoughts to new heights were I began to apply his words to creation, life, consciousness, and the purpose of things (Aristotle: 1152)

Citations

Aristotle - Pg.1149-1151 (Norton Anthology World Literature) Aristotle- Stanford Encyclopedia Of Philosophy Plato - Pg.880-885 (Norton Anthology World Literature) Plato - Stanford Encyclopedia Of Philosophy

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