Whilst the forms are invisible to the eye, our souls have participated in the eternal world of forms prior to being in material form in a physical body, and retain a memory of them. Although this memory is not readily accessible to the conscious mind, its presence is sufficient, to enable our limited perceptions.
Plato maintains however, that the philosopher can achieve a state of perceiving the forms directly, with his mind's eye, by: developing skill, in discerning the abstract qualities, common to groups of things and ideas
-Plato says the soul will always choose to do well, if it recognizes what is good. This is a similar conception of good and bad. The soul is drawn to the good, the ideal, and so is drawn to God. We gradually move closer and closer to God through reincarnation as well as in our individual lives. Our ethical goal in life is resemblance to God, to come closer to the pure world of ideas and ideal, to liberate us from matter, time, and space, and to become more real in this deeper sense. (Self-realisation). This is quite like reincarnation Buddhist beliefs.
- Plato granted that men and women are different in height, strength, and similar qualities, he noted that these differences are not universal; that is, for example, although it may be true that most men are taller than most women, there are certainly some women who are taller than many men. What is more, he denied that there is any difference between men and women with respect to the abilities relevant to …. (page2)
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guardianship—the capacity to understand reality and make reasonable judgments about it. Plato maintained that prospective guardians, both male and female, should receive the same education and be assigned to the same vital functions within the society.
- Platonic philosophy in my opinion probably did influence Jesus’ teachings, Jesus apparently was able to speak fluent Greek, and if this is true then I would not be surprised if Plato had influence on Jesus.
- Unlike Plato, Aristotle defines the soul as the animating form of a living body. If we are to use this definition then logically we think that the soul cannot exist separate from the body. However, Aristotle works around this. He admits that most of the soul's affections, such as anger, desire, and perception, depends on the body and are inconceivable except in relation to it. But he leaves open the fact that the soul's thinking may be independent of the body, which in this case the soul could be separate of the body. "It is quite clear then that the soul is not separable from the body, or that some parts of it are not, if it is its nature to have parts. Aristotle does not agree with Plato in the fact that our bodies are separate from the physical world
- One of the most important aspects of Aristotle’s philosophy was the development of potentiality into actuality. For Aristotle, this development provided a basis from which to discuss the beginnings of all things, including existence itself.
Aristotle explained the movement from potential to actual in terms of the causes that act on all things. He suggested the four causes:
1-The material cause is the basic stuff out of which the thing is made. The material cause of a house, for example, would include the wood, metal, glass, and other building materials used in its construction. All of these things belong in an explanation of the house because it could not exist unless they were present in its composition.
2-The formal cause - is the pattern or essence in conformity with which these materials are assembled. Thus, the formal cause of our exemplary house would be the sort of thing that is represented on a blueprint of its design. This, too, is part of the explanation of the house, since its materials would be only a pile of rubble, if they were not put together in this way.
3- The efficient cause is the agent or force immediately responsible for bringing this and that form together in the production of the thing. Thus, the efficient cause of the house would include the carpenters, plumbers, and other workers who used these materials to build the house in accordance with the blueprint for its construction. Clearly the house would not be what it is without their contribution.
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4- Lastly, the final cause - is the or purpose for which a thing exists, so the final cause of our house would be to provide shelter for human beings. This is part of the explanation of the house's existence because it would never have been built unless someone needed it as a place to live.
- For Aristotle, women are not considered equals to men in any circumstance; rather, they are males gone wrong, and do not share the same intelligence or abilities as men.
Aristotle believes that one’s reproductive function determines his or her mental and moral capacity Aristotle concludes that males and females are opposites of each other, with the male on the positive side, and the female on the negative side of the dualism. He believes the males semen gives soul. Aristotle believes that because males are capable of giving soul, they must also be able to will their soul, for males are the example of human kind. Females have souls too, but cannot deliberately will their soul.
