The Worlds of Plato and Aristotle

The purpose of this text is to present the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle as whole perspectives of life and the world by utilising the actual writings of the two men. This task presents two problems: selection and interpretation. For the first, while we may not have included everyone’s favourite selection, we trust that we have not included any that may be judged unimportant. For the second, while we have had to state our interpretations of these philosophers, we desire that you also have the opportunity to interpret them. To that end, alternative conclusions are presented as objectively as possible. Differences in style, attitude, and purpose of Plato and Aristotle make each part of the book separate and distinct. Yet, while this is not our intention, the presentation of both in one volume invites comparison of the two. Certainly this may become one function of the text.