Plato and Confucius Essay - 2913 Words

Plato and Confucius There are thousands of credible philosophers for people to study today, therefore the choice of who to study becomes a burdening task. Each single one has amazing knowledge and insight that we could all learn something from. There are people who don’t call themselves philosophers but bring philosophical thought to us, and then there are those who dedicate their lives to the love of wisdom. Philosophers have existed for thousands of years, and as long as the sun comes up, there will be philosophers in the future. The human mind is made for philosophizing. So as we young, blossoming philosophers try and make sense of the world in general and the philosophical world specifically, we must find people to enlighten us and†¦show more content†¦Plato is one of the most incredible and though provoking philosophers of all time. He demonstrates his intellectual capacity and vision in his work, Republic. Plato is essentially the mouthpiece for Socrates in this book, and they foll ow the dialogue form throughout the book. The essence of his thoughts in Republic is that justice is inherently good, the best way to live, and should be sought after in every way. He faces many tough arguments with those he is trying to convince, but eventually shows everyone, including the reader, how important justice really is. He helps put into perspective that a just reputation is appealing to everyone, but the intrinsic value of justice is ever more important. Plato goes into some incredibly complex and often surprising arguments about why justice is such a necessity in both civilizations and each individual. Plato emphasizes the importance of the values he knows to be best during the book, and a couple of those happen to be truth and wisdom. By pursuing both, he thinks people would be naturally inclined to opt for a just way of life. The thoughts and topics he delves into are simple in a way, but are infinitely complex when you take a step back and define or assign meaning t o the concepts of truth and justice. The way we look at justice or truth is dependent upon what we assume both concepts mean. Plato clarifies these definitions because it gives clear meaningShow MoreRelatedPlato and Confucius4610 Words   |  19 Pagesbetween Confucius and Plato. Both taught through means of dialogue, and both expressed reticence to provide direct definitions. Both advocated contemplation and education as the means for moral attainment, and both sought to balance contemplation with service. Both sought to apply their moral theory to public office (though both failed). And while Plato espoused the ‘heavenly’ forms, Confucius espoused the ‘Decree of Heaven.’ Moreover, Plato advocated the life of the philosopher, even as Confucius advocatedRead MoreEssay on Confucius and Plato843 Words   |  4 Pages Confucius and Plato nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Confucius and Plato are two of the most respected and most widely studied teachers of history. There philosophies of how people should be governed and what characteristics make for a good leader. Both men’s ideas are good for the civilizations that they lived in, and they shared many similarities in their ideas. My own ideas of an ideal leader are a mixture of these two men’s ideas. The personal experiences of both men also play a key role in howRead More Plato Contrasted with Confucius Essay1245 Words   |  5 PagesPlato Contrasted with Confucius Since the early beginnings of society, in which people began living in gathered communities, there can be seen a constant progression, upon a steady time line, of the increased order of the organization of society. However, this is not the kind of progress that was sought by two widely known philosophers and teachers, Plato and Confucius. The kind of social reform and alteration displayed in the teachings and writings of both of these men, examine a movementRead MoreThe Political Theories Of The Notorious Philosophers- Confucius959 Words   |  4 PagesThe political theories of the notorious philosophers— Confucius, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Marx, Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau— have significantly impacted the American Political System of today through their timeless appeal. If these philosophers were alive today, what would their perception be of the American Political System to date? Confucius, a Chinese philosopher, in 551 BCE - 479 BCE created Confucianism, centered upon restoring â€Å"peace and order.† According to Simon WorrallRead 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 MoreSocrates And Confucius As Teachers3484 Words   |  14 PagesSocrates and Confucius as Educators Neither Confucius nor Socrates were regarded widely in their lifetimes as highly valuable and distinguished men. Their fates were colored with tragic hues, but their ethics have survived them and become immortalized as treasures of world culture. Socrates had a formative influence on Western philosophy, and he emphasized logical method, the meaning of human experience, and the quest for eudaimonia through moral excellence. His famous paradox, that no one does wrongRead MoreThe Tenants Of A Foolproof Governmental System2264 Words   |  10 Pagesand grow? These are hard questions to answer, but there have been a few key figures in history who have tried to answer them. Among the earliest texts on this topic, Confucius’ Analects give some key insights into the topic. He seems to think the key to this perfect government is for the leader and the people to be a â€Å"gentleman†. Plato brings a more detailed view on the topic with his The Republic. He decides that the key i s to have everyone specialized in the job they have the most aptitude in. ThenRead MoreAnalects Of Confucius997 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"fengshui† beard, Confucius remains one of Asia’s most highly regarded philosophers of all time. Today Confucianism is considered a way of life rather than a religion. This view of Confucianism is the very foundation of Confucius’s teachings. In The Analects of Confucius, readers are often directed by Confucius himself, regarding appropriate and virtuous manners throughout their lives. The  Analects  depicts Confucius as someone who transmits but not create [†¦] (7:1, Analects). What Confucius claimed toRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Philosophy And Philosophy998 Words   |  4 Pagescharacteristics that make a government a perfect government is doing philosophy. One of the most well known and influential philosophers of the world, Plato, concluded the following about the value philosophy: the knowledge or value that philosophy produces â€Å"is the cause of all that is correct and beautiful in anything, that it produces both light and its source† (Plato 3). By doing philosophy, however minuscule or grand the subject of inquiry may be, a philosopher has the ability to obtain an understandingRead MoreReview of Personalities and Problems1573 Words   |  7 Pageseffective way to govern people. This is just one example of how he states the differences of the two personalities he discusses in a chapter. When Wolfe discusses Confucius and Plato, he states first states that they both agree that only virtuous people could create a peaceful community, but Confucius believed that all humans were good, and Plato believed that people were too easily deceived by greed. I have to say personally that this work is very important for a couple of reasons. I feel that the