Sophocles, Plato and Aristotle were each Greek philosophers who had very definitive ideas on education. Their respective philosophies were built on the premise of the importance of education. They believed education was the foundation upon which effective social behavior was developed. In this paper, each of the philosophers will be highlighted and their individual theories on education and social behavior will be discussed.
Sophocles
Sophocles is perhaps best known as a Greek writer of tragedy plays in ancient Greece. Two of his most famous works were Oedipus the King and Antigone. His works were very popular in Greek theatre culture and reflected his insights into the politics and social aspects of that day.
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"Sophocles, Plato and Aristotle".
Greek tragedy in general was inspired by Dionyisus, the god of wine and extreme behavior. It consisted of a series of rituals that were considered a religious experience of sorts. Participants would act out extreme situations that prompt extreme emotions that required a cleansing response. The Greeks used negative examples of life experiences to act out in their tragic plays. The performances prompted discussion about life’s experiences and gave the audience the opportunity to experience it as if they were going through it. It was considered cathartic which aided play spectators to gain the full embodiment of what they were experiencing to the very fullest.
Greek tragedy was grounded on several principles. The Greeks firmly believed the universe had an order to it and that a basic order determined a sequence of events as they were to unfold in a proper manner. It was believed that every person had their place and the Greek tragedy dramas depicted individuals’ efforts in trying to find their place in the midst of the order of things. Sophocles had great concerns for the life of the polis. His works conveyed his belief that disaster and misfortune only came to those who possessed a flawed character. Tragic flaws were called hubris. Those with tragic flaws deceived themselves into thinking they could overcome whatever fate might befall them.
In Sophocles, Oedipus the King, he illustrates life in the polis through Oedipus’ eyes. Oedipus strives to do the right thing when he set out to save his people from persecution; namely a deadly plague. Through his efforts to try and save his people, Oedipus inadvertently lost sight of his own past and in turn brought about death and destruction to him and his family. He was enlightened by the Oracle of Delphi that his choices that set things in motion for how they would unfold.
Sophocles philosophy can best be summed up in this way. Man is solely responsible for his life’s outcomes. It is through his actions that bring about the things that happen for good and bad. The flawed character of man also plays a role in how man views himself and the outcomes of his experiences. What a man thinks of himself has an impact on his character which causes great internal struggle.
Plato
Plato was a Greek philosopher who studied under Socrates and was a teacher of Aristotle. He searched for truth using question and answer format among his friends and adversaries that was heavily influenced by pre-Socrates philosophers. Pre-Socrates philosophy was rooted in mythopoeic logic which was grounded in the senses and observation to investigate theories in order to better understand the world as a whole. Pre-Socratic philosophers subscribed to a Milesian school of thought that consisted of the quest for the existence of the primary element. The main motivation that instigated this quest was the definitive need to understand the basic order of all things.
Plato and pre-Socrates philosophers based their theory on what it means to be human on the Pythagorean Theorem and the consistency of musical notes as they play out on a musical score. However, pre-Socratic philosophy contradicted the system or order of things that had been found in the Pythagorean Theorem and musical notes. Pre-Socrates philosophers searched for meaning in the material world in how it correlates to the basic meaning of life. Although they were keenly aware of emotions and personality, they could not prove the origins from which emotions and personality derived. They also could not surmise any theoretical foundation for the origin of the physical or the emotional.
Plato, on the other hand, theorized through observation that the body and personality work together as one which became the basis for his integrated personality theory. The integrated personality theory was based on appetite, spirit, and reason. All three working in unison with one another made up personality. Each function of the working whole have a specific role that is necessary and makes them all interconnected and gave way to the idea of the existence of the soul. This led Plato to explore the soul in depth and it continuum after death.
By searching for truth in such a philosophical manner and in all educational pursuits, Plato believed man could exceed his desires and senses in order to gain true knowledge that could only be found in attainment of the opportunity to achieve the Final Good. Philosophy was defined by ancient Greeks as the epitome of knowledge and experience. Plato theorized that the more knowledge man has the more he has ability to reason. He contended that man starts with the material world and what he can see to observe and explore. This creates within him the need for contemplation or reasoning. Plato believed that man’s previous accomplishments were directly linked to man’s sense of intellect. From there man advances through stages of reason to build upon emotions such as love. With each stage, a higher sense of reason is gained. Plato’s theory holds that opinions are neither right nor wrong but a demonstration of man’s knowledge and his ability to reason accordingly. As man’s sense of reasoning expands from the knowledge he has gained, he develops inherent value that is comprised of ideas, actions, and knowledge that determine their intrinsic value rather than how those values are carried out. In turn, Plato believed with great concern, that this motivated man’s behavior accordingly.
Aristotle
Aristotle was a student of Plato’s and although as an understudy he was exposed to Plato’s philosophy, he had very different ideas on what makes up truth, reason, and knowledge. Plato believed knowledge and reason was measured in relation to its opposite and that no two people describe the same thing in the same way. Because of this reasoning was rooted in opinions, which were neither right nor wrong, but indicated the varying levels of knowledge that people possess.
Aristotle did not deny Plato’s philosophy as truth, but built upon it by claiming that the human perception of the material world is where all knowledge is obtained and is markedly diversified because of all the different opinions that exist. He believed that in order to clarify the varying diversity that existed, there must be a system devised to reconcile diversity and understanding.
This new system Aristotle proposed would be built around four causes. His beliefs held that everything in existence were the result of four different states, thus, his Four Causes was born. These four causes were comprised of material, formal, efficient, and final causes. Each cause had a definitive role that determined its place and all were interconnected. Material cause is based on the substance upon which something is made. Formal cause is how it forms or takes shape. Efficient cause is what makes something. Final cause is the reason or purpose for something. Aristotle posits that the final cause was the most important because those causes that have the same material, formal, and efficient things have the same end result. Things that are alike have the same end result or final cause. All things are determined as good or bad and will have a final cause that reflects that.
Aristotle’s work on the causes of all things determined that the final cause is the result. He reasoned that all thought and knowledge was found in philosophy, learning, nature, and art. In order to have a full understanding of something, one must understand its nature of how it works and what contribution it could potentially make or not make to it. Aristotle reasoned that in order to gain understanding about anything, one must see the final cause or purpose for it. When one can determine that, he can understand how the different pieces work to make it fit into the desired outcomes. Out of this Aristotle formed his main philosophy that was largely based on reason, balance, and social interaction. Thus, in order for man to find true happiness, he must maintain a good quality of life. This brings happiness and harmony over all things. This can only be found through having social interaction with others, a process of learning, achievements, decisions based on the final cause to form a connection to others.
Conclusion
The work of Sophocles, Plato and Aristotle was an ongoing work in creating a philosophy that defined the essence of the human condition built on knowledge, education, and social conditioning. Each philosopher had definitive ideas about what makes up the whole in each facet of their respective philosophies. With the emergence of Aristotle, he seemed to round out the philosophies of Sophocles and Plato by understanding that the final cause of all things is contingent upon many factors that lead to the end result. All things have an end result for good and bad. Given man is created differently, it would stand to reason man perceives all things differently from one another.
Interpretations and perceptions are different because of the great diversity that exists among mankind. However, the final cause of all things helps man to fully understand in unison how and why things exists and what makes up their essence. Without a final cause there can be no resolution for anything. All three philosophers would agree that knowledge is gained from experiencing and viewing the material world and then having social interaction to further expand and build upon its quest for finding truth.
