60 Moral Philosophy: Ideas of Good and Evil, Right and Wrongcomes from the lack of understanding of the nature of the act.
When we are faced with decisions that we have to ponder, should
I, shouldn’t I, we can, and often do, choose evil over good. But,
says Plato, if we knew, truly knew, what we were doing, we
would choose the good.
When one understands Plato ’ s concept of the physical world—
that it is imperfect, temporary, deceptive, and in that sense,
evil— one can begin to understand his view of knowledge.
Knowledge is the understanding of the good, and the good can
only be known through the mind. This world we know through
the eyes; the real world we know through the mind. That eternal,
perfect, immutable world of forms which exists outside the
material world is where we must look to find the good, and we
can, if we seek knowledge and obtain wisdom.Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)
Aristotle was born in Stagira in 384 B.C. His father,
Nichomacus, was a doctor and the personal physician of King
Amyntas II of Macedonia, father of Philip the Great. After his
parents’ death, Aristotle was brought up by a relative in Atamea.
At the age of eighteen Aristotle went to study at Plato’s
Academy. He remained there as a student, and probably in part
as a teacher, for twenty years, until the death of Plato. Then,
unhappy with the program of the Academy without Plato,
Aristotle left with a group of students and continued his studies.
He developed a close relationship with Hermias, a fellow student
who was a political ally of the King of Macedonia. Through this
connection Aristotle got a job as tutor of the King’s son,
Alexander. At the age of forty-nine, Aristotle left Macedonia and
returned to Athens, where he founded the Lyceum. It was at the
Lyceum that he taught, wrote, researched, and developed the
greatest library in the ancient world.
When Alexander the Great died in 323 B.C., Aristotle left
Athens in the wake of anti-Macedonian sentiments, which some
say threatened Aristotle’s security. Rather than fall victim to
Socrates’ fate, Aristotle left, not allowing Athens to “sin against
philosophy twice.” He died a year later on the island of Euboea.
Aristotle considered himself a Platonist, but developed, nev
ertheless, new and opposing directions of his own. During his