Plato was one of the first to develop the concept of a political utopia. In The Republic, he attempts to define justice by using the character of Socrates in a debate. Plato then continues to outline the guidelines for a just society. Plato's utopia appears, at first, to be an excellent idea. However, after further examination, his perfect society is less than ideal. Several flaws are obvious when considering Plato's vision from a contemporary perspective. In addition, in The Politics Aristotle critiques Plato's ideal city and offers his own model for society. Plato tries to define justice by ...

• Word Count: 1216
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

"Once I was the student, now I am the Master!" Although this was said by Darth Vader to Obi Wan, it nonetheless provides the perfect setting for the philosophical debate that, in my opinion, would exist today Plato and Aristotle. Aristotle, a student of the Academy, did not believe in Plato's theoretical view of the world. Rather, he felt that the world could be realized at the most elementary level through detailed observation and the cataloging of experiences. This was the basis for his belief that knowledge was empirical, or founded on experimentation. To that end, Aristotle has been called...

• Word Count: 1041
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School