Assignment 2: Comparative/Critique Essay

Comparative Critique: Plato and Aristotle on Political Change and Disorder Student’s Name Institution of Affiliation Course Instructor Name Date Comparative Critique: Plato and Aristotle on Political Change and Disorder Political change and transition, ownership, and conflict are classic problems that have defined the field of political philosophy throughout history. Two ancient philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, provide deep and somewhat different insights into political stability and change processes. They had their imaginations colored by the revolutionary political climate of their ancient world, the democracy that flared and died, and the dark shadow of tyranny. Not only was Plato attempting to establish an ideal state impenetrable to the blasts of change, but even Socrates appeared to share this goal in his preoccupation with form and truth. Indeed, his student and later adversary, Aristotle, endeavored to be more scientific, concerned with identifying the principles of politics based on evaluating existing constitution, their capabilities, their vices, and the conditions under which they can become destabilized. This essay looks at their opinions on political change and disorder, understanding their philosophies, strategies for ruling, and their stand on democracy. Evaluating their views presents an appreciation of their applicability in present-day contexts and some impossibility. Describing Plato’s Vision for Change and Disarray of Politics Concerning political philosophy, Plato's ideas about his theory of forms argue that politics reflects the eternal and unchanging realm. It is appropriate to admit that in The Republic, Plato paints a picture of the perfect state that can be stable and not threatened by internal turmoil only if philosopher-arches rule it. These rulers, by their understanding of the form of the Good, can rise above the vice of selfishness and thereby preserve the unity of the state. Even more importantly, Plato understands power change chiefly as an indication of ethical and architectural degeneration. To demonstrate how political decay evolves, Plato outlines an aristocratic cycle of political development in which the government of the virtuous Aristocracy descends into timocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and finally, tyranny. There are different forms of government, but Aristocracy is the best form of government in the context of Plato because laws do not govern it, and those ruling live with reason and virtue but are influenced or controlled by reason and virtue. Although governance gets diluted as human imperfections creep into the scene, it declines in descending order of self-serving, unfair, and chaotic. The fundamental features of timocracy include honor and militancy, which lead to oligarchy, which is typified by the possession of material wealth. In Plato's model of society, democracy is characterized by confused and unrestricted freedom that creates conditions that promote tyranny. One rationale that Plato can give the audience is that he does not believe in change because it does not improve the political state. Instead, he states that change upsets the balance needed for justice and societal equity. To combat such an idea, Plato suggests an oppressive society with a proper education system that only produces a rational and controlled society. Philosopher-kings are to live in common, non-possessive, and family-less since such conditions are conducive to their purity and their ability to be genuinely concerned with the welfare of the whole community (Waterfield, 2020). On the one hand, Plato's vision is maintaining order, where the state is constructed upon principles outside of the realm of change; on the other hand, it also reveals the authoritarian character of the philosopher-king project and distrust in democracy and active people's participation. He perceives democracy as a system with innate problems, as a populism that can resort to the lowest of instincts in people, and as a system vulnerable to demagogues with a cult of the people. This perspective explicitly highlights Plato's inclination for a relatively paved and rigid political system rather than one that is open and involved. Aristotle’s Approach to Political Change and Disorder However, in political change and order, Aristotle, departing from his teacher's findings, assumes a different posture. Unlike Plato, Aristotle pays little tribute to abstract values, focusing instead on sociopolitical reality factors. His two pioneering books, Politics and The Constitution of Athens, present a comprehensive overview of various ...