PHILOSOPHERS TIMELINE

Philosophers Timeline

Philosophers Timeline

Comparison Of Philosphers

Realism (Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

The views of Aristotle on ethics represent, in the main, the prevailing opinions of educated and experienced men of his day. They are not like Plato's impregnated with mystical religion; nor do they countenance such unorthodox theories are found in the Republic concerning property and the family. Those who neither fall below nor rise above the level of decent, well-behaved citizens will find in the Ethics a systematic account of the principles by which they hold that their conduct should be regulated. Those who demand anything more will be disappointed. The good, one is told is happiness, which is an activity of the soul. Aristotle says that Plato was right in dividing the soul into two parts, one rational, and the other irrational and similarly there are two kinds of virtues, intellectual and moral, corresponding to the two parts of the soul. Intellectual virtue results from teaching, moral virtue from habit. (Aristotle, 2000)

It is the business of a legislator to make the citizens good by forming good habits. We become just by performing just acts and similarly as regards other virtues. By being compelled to acquire good habits we shall in time, Aristotle thinks come to find pleasure in performing good actions. Thus Aristotle on the whole takes the view that virtues are means to an end, namely happiness: “the end then being what we wish for, the means what we deliberate about and choose, actions concerning means must be according to choice and voluntary. Now the exercise of the virtues is concerned with the means.” It then appears that Aristotle believes that happiness cannot be possessed by things that can be possessed (materialistic happiness) but instead by a way of understanding. Aristotle's view suggests that happiness is about pleasure and that happy people are those who demonstrate virtue and honor.(Schor, 2000)

Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

The Baconian spirit profoundly changed the nature and purpose of the scientific quest. From the time of the ancients the goals of science had been wisdom, understanding the natural order and living in harmony with it. Science was pursued 'for the glory of God,' or, as the Chinese put it, to 'follow the natural order' and 'flow in the current of the Tao.' These were yin, or integrative, purposes; the basic attitude of scientists was ecological, as we would say in today's language. In the seventeenth century this attitude ...