Aristotle and Aquinas Essay - 2012 Words

Aristotle and Aquinas Among political theorists, the debate over the rule of law has been quite intense. From the earliest days of political philosophy through to the enlightenment, there have been varying views on what the rule of law should be. Two thinkers in particular - Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas - are perhaps the most influential. On the surface, they both advocate the rule of law as playing a crucial role in society. But upon deeper analysis, one finds that Aristotles views sharply contrast with those of Aquinas. This essay shall attempt to elucidate the disagreement between Aristotle and Aquinas, by first outlining Aristotles arguments for and against the rule of law, and then by explaining what Aristotle†¦show more content†¦Take, for example, the crime of murder. How can murder be classified? No two murders can ever be identical. Each murderer has his or her own motives. Some may kill in self-defence, while others may kill as a psychological disorder. Is it thus fair to judge all murderers as equals? Of course not. Accordingly, it would seem that the rule of law is necessarily deficient in some areas. Yet, Aristotle does not discard the rule of law altogether. In fact, he supports it by saying that the ruler must himself necessarily be a legislator, and that laws must exist.3 But what about those things that the law is unable to determine? In these cases, who should wield authority? Aristotle presents two arguments which seem to indicate that he supports aristocratic rule. Firstly, because of their numerical superiority, the multitude are better equipped to judge in areas where the law is deficient. In his own words, he writes a crowd can judge many matters better than any single person.4 The logic of this argument is simple: The multitude has many different expertises, and thus when acting as a unit, it can judge better than a single person with only one expertise. Secondly, the multitude is less corruptible than an individual. While an individual can be consumed by anger or other passions, it is hard for all [the multitude] to become angry and err at the same time5 With this, it may seem as thoughShow MoreRelated Locke, Aristotle and Aquinas Essay2204 Words   |  9 PagesLocke, Aristotle and Aquinas      Ã‚   In the tomes of history, many philosophers have outlined their visions of a perfect society.   Until recently however, few have ventured into the waters of religious tolerance.   One such philosopher was John Locke.   Writing in the late 17th century, Locke advocated a complete separation between church and state.   He argued for an unprecedented tolerance of people of all faiths.  Ã‚   Although Lockes views became widely popular throughout Europe and the AmericasRead MoreSimilarities Between Aristotle And Aquinas1207 Words   |  5 Pages Both Aristotle and Aquinas were prominent philosophers who wrote profound works that discussed the concept of the highest human good and how humans can achieve it. In Aristotle’s, Nicomachean Ethics, the highest human good is a state of constant seeking knowledge as a way of achieving full capacity as a human. The writings of Aquinas are similar to Aristotle, but, in Treatise on Law, he discusses the type and elements of law. His discourse on law ultimately names the highest human good as beingRead MoreConfucius, Aristotle, Aquinas, And Erasmus1713 Words   |  7 PagesConfucius, Plato, Aristotle, Quintilian, Aquinas, and Erasmus As a Christian educator, it is important to base educational practices on Biblical authority. Christian education should teach students to learn to act like God and to do His work (Graham, 2003). â€Å"True education is to develop knowledge of God and His created reality and to use that knowledge in exercising a creative-redemptive dominion over the world . . . â€Å" (Graham, 2003, p. 57). Being a Christian educator, does not mean that organizationalRead MoreEssay on Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas2022 Words   |  9 Pagesthinkers and scholars has had challenges too but there are two outstanding works that have gained credit from most, if not all, of the scholars and modern philosophers. In this Essay, the researcher takes a keen look at the works of Aristotle and that of St. Thomas Aquinas. To be able to tackle the essay well, it is important to ask at this stage, using Aristotle’s philosophy and Thomas Aquinas’s philosophical insights, is it possible to establis h a connection between the warring sides of philosophyRead MoreMoral Behavior: Aquinas and Aristotle vs. Kant1356 Words   |  6 PagesMoral Behavior: Aquinas and Aristotle vs. Kant When comparing between the philosophies of St. Thomas Aquinas/Aristotle and those of Immanuel Kant when regarding moral behavior, there are some very fundamental differences. On one hand, you have Kant’s autonomous perspective on behavior morality, in which you give the law to yourself. On the other hand, you have the heteronomy views of Aristotle and Aquinas which concludes that one can measure their conduct against an external force. Kant’sRead MoreComparison of Plato, Aquinas, Aristotle and Augustine1473 Words   |  6 Pagesis. The point is not to establish an idea of God, but instead to determine what is right, good, just, and true; God is the precondition or origin of the Forms or the timeless, abstract, unchanging objects of the understanding. (Plato 412 Aristotle Truth/Reality Reality is real; contradictory predicates cannot apply to the same thing, in the same way, at the same time; human beings prefer to live; and that facts are facts. I therefore reject the rejects the mystical Platonic notion of aRead MoreComparison of Plato, Aquinas, Aristotle and Augustine1464 Words   |  6 PagesThe point is not to establish an idea of God, but instead to determine what is right, good, just, and true; God is the precondition or origin of the Forms or the timeless, abstract, unchanging objects of the understanding. (Plato 412 Aristotle Truth/Reality Reality is real; contradictory predicates cannot apply to the same thing, in the same way, at the same time; human beings prefer to live; and that facts are facts. I therefore reject the rejects the mystical Platonic notion ofRead MoreMoral Virtues Between Aristotle And St. Thomas Aquinas1147 Words   |  5 Pagestheories of moral virtues between Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, analysing and assessing how their beliefs have influenced European culture. Aristotle (384-322BCE) was an ancient Greek Philosopher who was a polymath and productive writer. Despite the fact that it can’t be positive it is commonly accepted the Nichomachean Ethics (NE) are his own works (IEP, 2005), and it is in Book Tow that the topic of virtue and moral values is one of several conferred. St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), a Dominican priestRead MoreNichomachean Ethics And Thomas Aquinas986 Words   |  4 Pagesrelationship between justice, good, and happiness, specifically in Aristotle’s â€Å"Nichomachean Ethics† and Thomas Aquinas’ â€Å"On the Nature of Law.† And by examining these texts I wish to argue that even though they lived nearly 1000 years apart, Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas share the same overall view of justice, but they each follow different paths to reach that justice. Both Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas believe in the pursuit of happiness as a measure of justice and a desirable chief end of life. So inRead MoreEssay on St. Thomas Aquinas’ On Being and Essence1002 Words   |  5 Pages In St. Thomas Aquinas’ On Being and Essence, he devotes an entire chapter of his book discussing how essence is found in composite substances. â€Å"Form and matter are found in composite substances, as for example soul and body in man. But it cannot be said that either one of these alone is called the essence.’ Aquinas argues that in a composite substance, not only is the form but also matter in the essence of a thing. However, in Metaphysics, Aristotle says that essence is in the form, which acts

Aristotle, The Greatest Thinkers Of All Times Essay

Aristotle is one of the greatest thinkers of all times and influenced every area of present day thinking. Aristotle was born in 384 BCE at Stagirus, Macedonia, A Greek colony and seaport on the coast of Thrace. He took a liking to Plato and decided to go to Plato’s school, the Academy, in Athens, Greece. For the next twenty years, he remained in the Academy as a student then as a teacher. Aristotle became the mind of school and followed Plato. After the death of Plato, he moved to Assos. During his time in Assos, he embraces the individual’s point of view using arguments, reasoning, and persuading. According to Aristotle, Individual is confronted by persuasion every day in life. It might take in various situations and places and categorized into three sections which are, the appeal of emotion, the appeal to reason and the appeal to one’s character. Aristotle calls them Ethos, in which is used to describe the ideas and beliefs that characterize the community, Log os in which using logical arguments, scientific method and proof to persuade and Pathos, is a purpose of presentation, advertising and pity for persuasion. Furthermore, these aspects can also be found in outside sources such as advertisements, medias and people trying to persuade others like candidates or running from something that needed to persuade to win. Body, A1 According to Aristotle â€Å"the character ethos of the speaker is a cause of persuasion when the speech is so uttered as to make him worthy of belief, forShow MoreRelatedForms and Causes: Philosophies of Aristotle and Plato Essay1129 Words   |  5 PagesAristotle and Plato are two of the most influential philosophers in history. Plato was Socrates’ greatest student and in turn taught Aristotle. In time, Aristotle became Plato’s greatest student. Together Aristotle and Plato, along with Socrates, laid the groundwork for what we now know as Western philosophy and science. Plato, in addition to being a philosopher, wrestled at the Olympic level, is one of the classical Greek authors, mathematicians and the founder of The Academy, the first higherRead MoreSocrates Vs Socrates1704 Words   |  7 PagesSocrates and Aristotle would think that philosophy was for the greater good and expanding the minds of those around them. Socrates in particular would regard philosophy as conversational and weeding out those who ‘know’ and those who do not. Aristotle would use philosophy to try to reach the conclusion on what happiness is. These great thinkers believed absolute contemplation was the greatest pleasure human beings could reach, so for them philosophy was reaching a type of Nirvana. Take the ApologyRead MoreAristotle And Aristotle s Views On Morality1394 Words   |  6 PagesBoth Aristotle and Aquinas, are both considered to be in the discussion of ancient/medieval thinkers. Though these individuals have differences in certain viewpoints, their overall ideology puts them in a grouping that is different from the individuals considered to be late modern thinkers (i.e. Kant and Mill). The discussions made in this essay will elaborate on the contexts of what each of the thinkers considered to be relevant to the making of moral judgments, how each think believed that decisionsRead More The Rise Of Christianity Essay1320 Words   |  6 Pageselements; the motion of the heavenly bodies; the shape of the cosmos; the species of animals and plants; the nature of stones, rivers, and mountains; about time and distance; the signs of coming storms; or about a thousand other things which these scientists have either found out, or think they have found out. However, the rediscovery of Aristotle and other ancient philosophers had a profound effect on European thought. This caused the Catholic Church to become deeply concerned. Those whose ideasRead MoreEssay about Confucius and Aristotle on Virtue953 Words   |  4 PagesConfucius and Aristotle on Virtue Lisa Wilson Dr. Malone Date 12/5/2015 Confucius and Aristotle are some of the greatest thinkers in the history of mankind. While Confucius was born in China and spearheaded a new way of perceiving morality, Aristotle was born in Macedon/Greece and also immersed his philosophical work to addressing moral thinking.Both philosophers have addressed similar subjects with major points of divergence and convergence.Read MoreEthics, Utilitarianism, Deontology, And Virtue Ethics1415 Words   |  6 Pagesthe world. Majority of these scenarios, virtue ethics brings about the best results for those within the South Park community and the main characters. In the following, I will argue why virtue ethics is the most effective theory to always follow of all theories and how always following a utilitarianism and deontology approach can cause conflict within oneself and society. In the 90’s, Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Bryan Garden created South Park. This show has incorporated loads of satire that standsRead MoreAristotle s Ethics Of Happiness1515 Words   |  7 Pageshappiness is known as eudaimonia, and is an Intrinsic Good. For Aristotle, humans reach their supreme goal of eudaimonia through intellectual and moral virtues. When one can habitually and favorably find the mean between extreme actions in any situation, moral virtue is reached. Intellectual virtue is reached through phronesis, or when an individual uses his or her mind to choose a â€Å"right† decision. The cultivation of habit is necessary for Aristotle because when choosing the situational mean is deep-rootedRead MorePlato And Aristotle s Views On Life794 Words   |  4 PagesTameka Jonas Thompson Survey of Philosophical Thoughts2010 Professor James Moore June 9, 2015 Analogy of Plato and Aristotle Aristotle and Plato were each great intellectual however their views on life are totally different. Plato was born round the year 428 BCE in Athens. (Plato) Plato was then introduce to was introduced to philosophy by Socrates in 469-399 B.C.( Plato)Who then became is mentor, however Socrates died , however shortly after his mentor die he had an an inspirationRead MoreA Comparison of Great Scientists in History Essay1063 Words   |  5 Pagesthe time Ancient Greece. Like so many others of his time, he sought to understand the universe, why it is, and how it came to be. The great philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) was yet another of many astounding Ancient Greek thinkers, among which were Plato and Socrates. â€Å"The Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle possessed and outstanding intellect. His writings - on politics to zoology - spanned all branches of human knowledge. Although his ideals have not always stood the test of time, Aristotle’sRead MoreThe Existence Of God And The Renaissance Era821 Words   |  4 Pagesthat was shared by most of the well-known philosophers and theologians of the time. The very name medieval (meaning, the in-between time) philosophy suggests the tendency of modern thinkers to go directly from Aristotle to the Renaissance era. What seems to justify this attitude is the tendency of philosophers during this period to seek truth along with orthodoxy. Most of the medieval thinkers from religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam were pre-occupied with

Canadas Defining Moments in History free essay sample

Their first active role in international affairs was in the United Nations. The United Nations was founded in 1945 by France, China, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union. They wanted to replace the old League of Nations (Founded after World War 1) with a better organization that would succeed where the League of Nations failed. The United Nations aimed to promote world peace and security, economic and social development, and human rights. Canada strongly supported the United Nations and their idea of promoting world peace and security so they decided to sign the charter on April 4th 1945 with 50 other nations. Canada wanted to increase the foreign aid to the less developed countries around the world with the help of the United Nations. Canada contributed a lot towards the UN like money and support for world peace. Their role in the UN was tremendous. Lester B Pearson served as the president of the General Assembly from 1952 to 1953. Canada had served a record six terms on the Security Council, first in 1948-49. Being part of the United Nations was a defining moment in Canadian history since nations around the world started to become aware of the things Canada is able to do by their selves. Canada was deeply involved in the creation of the United Nations. Some nations thought Canada should not be focusing at any economic or cultural organizations at that time. According to David Mackenzie, the author of â€Å"A World beyond Borders†, some people thought Canada shouldn’t be a part of world affairs and should be just focusing on creating military alliances. He stated â€Å"Although some countries acknowledged Canada’s interest in non-military article, they saw no need for Canada to be joining any economic or cultural organizations. Canada should stick to creating military alliances instead. (Mackenzie 83) If Canada listened to these people then Canada wouldn’t be where they are today. Canada needed to be part of more international affair so they decided to join the United States and ten other countries in NATO. On April 4th 1949 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed.. The United States, Canada, and ten other countries signed the tr eaty that day. NATO was a defence alliance. NATO was formed during the Cold War. It was mean to help each other out if they get attacked by the Soviet Union or the Warsaw Pact. The twelve countries had committed to defend each other no matter what happened. According to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, all the members that were a part of the organization had promised to defend each other in the event of an attack, it stated â€Å"An armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all†(Mackenzie,83). This meant if France was getting attacked by the Soviet Union then the countries involved in NATO had to help out France. I think this is a very good rule to obey since if you are fighting with another country it is nice to know that you have allies by your side that would help you no matter what. NATO was another defining moment in Canadian history because it was the first peacetime alliance Canada had ever joined. Canada was a part of peacetime alliances before but that was when Britain controlled the country. This was their first alliance as a independent country. Nations around the world started to become aware of what Canada was doing in world affairs after World War 2. They started thinking about having alliances with Canada after seeing what they were capable of doing. Especially the United States, they start to become alert of what Canada is capable of doing. To make their defense cooperation with Canada stronger they decided to work together to create NORAD. The North American Air Defence Command (NORAD) was formed in 1957, when the United States found out that the Soviet Union built long range bombers and ballistic missiles that were able to reach North America. The Soviet Union had a plan to send missiles through Canada to hit the United States. Canada was in a crucial position at that time; they did not know what they should do. Canada played a very important role in NORAD since with their permission the United States would build a series of radar tations in the arctic to be warned of Soviet Union attacks. Canada analyzed the situation and agreed to help the United States defeat the Soviet Union. This was a defining moment in Canadian history since our alliance with the United States started to become even stronger. Their defence cooperation started to increase after NORAD since the US started to gain more trust in Canada. Without Can ada’s help in the cold war there would be a different end result to the war. After working with the United States, Canada found it much easier to trade with the US after NORAD. This is Canada and the United State’s first time working together as a defence cooperation and it was successful. If Canada did not work with the United States in NORAD Canada would not have had a strong alliance like they do today. These defining moments made Canada who they are today. It gave Canada a better reputation and it showed countries around the world that Canada can not only fight in wars but they can also work together in world affairs. Canada’s relationship with the US got stronger because of NORAD and NATO. Also, Canada started to become known better on the world stage

Law Sample Essay - Importance of Law in Your Life

Lawyers have played an important role during three pivotal moments in my familys life and thus impressed upon me the significance of what they do. Before I describe those events, though, I must provide you with the context of the unusual circumstances under which I grew up.Except for the fact that my parents had married and divorced each other three times, I had led a fairly normal life up until the age of ten. My father worked in a General Motors factory and provided his family with a middle-class existence that included a house and two cars. When I was ten, however, my world collapsed. My parents divorced for the fourth and final time, setting off a nasty custody battle, depleting our financial resources, and forcing my mother, brother, two younger sisters, and myself to go on welfare. (My mother had just given birth to my youngest sister and so was not able to work yet.) It was a demeaning situation that I will never forget. Our food and clothes were in limited supply. We would ea t the same type of meal for two or three days in a row. Everything was a struggle, and worst of all, depending on others was humiliating.After four years of this predicament, my mother was able to get a job cleaning houses. She often had to work nights, so it fell to me as the oldest child to care for my siblings. I became, in effect, a surrogate parent. In fact, my youngest sister was calling me Dad by the time she was three years old.When I was 15, our family suffered another blow. A careless physicians faulty conclusion that my youngest sister had been molested prompted authorities to remove both my sisters from our home for several months.Upon my sisters return, my mother took a second, nighttime job, which placed even more responsibility on my shoulders. I had no time for a carefree teenage existence because I was too busy looking after my sisters and brother. I had concerns totally outside of the thinking of my classmates at school. This turned me into someone who was somewhat more serious and mature than many of my peers.Somehow I still managed to do well in high school, graduating in the top five percent of my class and winding up as 1 of only 2 (of 400) seniors being accepted at my top-tiered university. Because of my familys dire financial situation, I had never dreamed that I might enjoy such an opportunity, but a generous scholarship made it all possible. My undergraduate years have been exhilarating and rewarding, and I have compiled a respectable academic record even while commuting two-and-a-half hours each day.Law has emerged as my career choice for a number of reasons. As I indicated earlier, attorneys have been present at three key moments in my familys history. A lawyer was there during the custody battle that my mother won, a lawyer provided the counsel that led to my sisters being returned to us (he recommended that a second doctor examine them, thus negating the molestation charge), and a lawyer helped my mother through a critical period when she had gone deeply into debt (not surprising for a woman raising four children on $8,000 a year).As I move toward the completion of my undergraduate days, I feel very grateful for the blessing of the education I have received. My parents, both Peruvian immigrants, never went beyond high school. While I enjoyed all the benefits of my university experience, my mother was still cleaning other peoples toilets in order to try to make ends meet. As a lawyer, I will be in a position to achieve some measure of financial stability and help out my mother. I will also be able to give something back to others. (I speak Spanish, which should be an asset to me in Southern California.) Majoring in history has refined my research skills and prompted me to recognize that I will likely enjoy studying precedents and other aspects of the legal process. I enjoy writing, relate well to others, and, not surprisingly, feel a special compassion for those who are disadvantaged. Last year, in fact, I sp ent six months doing volunteer work at the Interfaith Hunger Coalition, which provides leads to individuals who are seeking food.Considering my background, I believe I have already come a long way in my life and have demonstrated that I am both a survivor and a hard worker.