Comparative Essay on the Philosophy and Ethics of Aristotle, Hume, Plato and Kant

Select any theme or philosophical question addressed by Plato or Aristotle and that continued to be dealt with by subsequent philosophers down through Kant. Describe the problem and show how it had been treated. Show what you would consider development and explain.

I decided to discuss philosophical views on education. In the Allegory of the Cave, plato explains why education is so important. Plato believed in idealism, and he stated that “education to body and soul are the beauty and perfection of which they are capable.” The allegory of the cave shows us a group of people who are on a one track mind, not being educated or experienced enough to understand somethings real truth. He believed in questioning students to allow them to gain a better understanding of their own knowledge and to clarify. Plato believed that everyone should be educated. Augustine, a student of Plato, also known as the father the scientific method believed in realism, and he said that in order to understand the reality of an object, you must be “diligent and scrutinize all observable data.” A believer in experimentalism or pragmatism, John Dewey, believed that everything must adapt to each other. He believed that schooling was a social experience preparing children for careers, daily duties, and citizenship. Aquinas believed that the goals of education were solely to teach worthwhile issues using different subjects. He considered scientific knowledge, metaphysics, mathematics, and natural philosophy was important. Hobbes beliefs on education were similar to Dewey’s in fact that education was more of a socialization. He believed that people learn through problem solving and analysis. John Locke looked into child education, and the early years. He stated that children are shaped by perceptions and experiences, and that children need to be shaped and taught. Hume did not necessarily value education, but learning. through the same Hume referred to education as being “the harmony between the course of nature and the succession of our ideas.” Lastly, Kant believed that “between theory and practice, a middle term that provides a connection is necessary.” He focused on how we gain knowledge and how knowledge is relatable to our experiences.

Compare and contrast–and include your own well-supported view on which is best–the ethics of Aristotle (virtue), Hume (feeling) and Kant (deontology).

Virtue is defined as a behavior that shows high moral standards. Aristotle believed that the good of people involves the soul that must extract sincere virtue. Aristotle explains that a happy person can acquire positive actions and behaviors. A happy person is subject to having virtue as their own reward. And in turn, a persons true happiness can only come about from their virtues. I do believe that happiness and virtue correlate in a good way. I think that having virtue is being a mature person also. A person who is able to follow the golden rule, and understand the effects of this on themselves and others.

Feelings can be defined as emotional states that can cause reactions. Hume’s had questioned if our feelings influence our actions. After research and observation, Hume’s concludes that feelings do motivate humans in the direction of moral value. Hume’s explains that feelings such as desire, fear, joy, and grief, come straight from evil or good, and pleasure or pain. Do people make judgements based off of feelings? All of the time. I know first hand that these impulse feelings of desire, fear, joy, and grief are not feelings that you should make decisions off of right away. These feelings can cause you to make the wrong decisions. Just because you desire another person, does not mean you should cheat on your spouse. Just because you are scared of spiders, does not mean you should kill one…and so on.

Deontology is an approach to ethics that focuses on the rightness and wrongness of actions themselves. Kant’s theory of deontology crosses Hume’s ethics on feelings saying that you should never be distracted by certain feelings or inclinations. Kant thinks that if something is wrong then it is always wrong, there are no loopholes. Deontology theories are not goal oriented, or based in terms of consequences, such as Aristotle’s views on good virtue, but it is based on its own features. Through rationalism, overall goodness, maxims, and imperatives, Kant is able to explain his ethics on Deontology.

Discuss the social contract and include the contribution that Plato might make.

The social contract theory is affiliated with modern theories and is given its first full discourse and defense by Thomas Hobbes. It is defined as “the view that persons’ moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon an agreement among them to outline the society in which they live.” This is an agreement in where humans are able to transfer their natural rights. Common security was reasonable and if men decided they wanted to do whatever they wanted, we would always be in war. The reason to enter into a social contract, according to Hobbes was to have common security. When Socrates was trying to explain to Crito early on in our discussion boards why he needed to remain incarcerated, and just accept the death penalty, he was explaining that this was sort of a political obligation for him. Knowing that Socrates was Plato’s student, did Socrates adapt the idea of a social contract through Plato at some point? Plato presents the social contract as an idea originating from the source of justice. I associate the social contract more known for being included in Hobbes and Locke theories, however, Socrates sure had a good example of it in earlier times. Locke believed that the social contract was of some or all of a persons rights in exchange for the allowance to live comfortably with ones personal property.