In levels of argument, the teachings of Plato and Aristotle couple with the proposal that life is not valid unless it is lived well. Correspondingly, it is known that the covetousness thoughts of the human brain drive a person to crave material items and wealthy lifestyles. So, I question, do the teachings of Plato and Aristotle remain true for beings with a mindset that desires such riches? Or is pleonexia the driving force behind a person’s desire to live well? After analyzing both philosophers, it is my belief that the desire of wanting to live well is the superior reason as to why people disobey and destroy polis. After all, as beings, competition amongst one another to achieve a greater good, whether for personal or public gain, is
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He considers the exchange of goods without or with the mediation of money, exchanges that might be called barter.” (70) Aristotle believed that “living well” satisfies one’s needs, while “merely living” means that a life full of exchange may interfere with living in harmony with nature and due to unnatural and unlimited desires. This illusion of fulfilling our desires over satisfying our needs becomes problematic when our desires cannot be fulfilled by the limited means of basic goods and necessities. It is after this imbalance when beings begin to live inconsistently with nature instead of living virtuously and their entire morality becomes corrupt. The imbalance of needs and desires bounds a person to unhappiness and restricts their freedoms. For example, in The Argument of Plato’s Republic, it is stated that “He who is rich in coin may often be in want of necessary food. But how can that be wealth of which a man may have a great abundance and yet perish with hunger.”
He considers the exchange of goods without or with the mediation of money, exchanges that might be called barter.” (70) Aristotle believed that “living well” satisfies one’s needs, while “merely living” means that a life full of exchange may interfere with living in harmony with nature and due to unnatural and unlimited desires. This illusion of fulfilling our desires over satisfying our needs becomes problematic when our desires cannot be fulfilled by the limited means of basic goods and necessities. It is after this imbalance when beings begin to live inconsistently with nature instead of living virtuously and their entire morality becomes corrupt. The imbalance of needs and desires bounds a person to unhappiness and restricts their freedoms. For example, in The Argument of Plato’s Republic, it is stated that “He who is rich in coin may often be in want of necessary food. But how can that be wealth of which a man may have a great abundance and yet perish with hunger.”