He states that we are not likely to get the same certainty we get in mathematics. Aristotle is more cautious in discussing virtues and the conditions under which is and is not reliable to hold people responsible for these virtues than Plato. Aristotle believes that there is no suggestion that ethical knowledge is something restricted to a small group of people. The ordinary citizen is able to make good decisions to live a good life. Appealing to the forms of the good is useless in these matters.
Aristotle and Plato do not differ much when it comes to specific goods such as the traditional virtues of moderation, justice and courage. Aristotle is just as demanding as Plato the virtues can be rationally justified. Both agree that a virtuous person is a happy person. The good of a thing is proper to its function. Aristotle suggests that if human beings had a function in the virtue of being human then he might be able to identify the good to them. Aristotle also states that the function of a man is activity of soul in accordance with reason or at least not without reason. He believes that the function of a human being we need to focus on what makes a human being human and …show more content…
He thinks of the platonic good which is a starting point on the form of the good. For Plato, in the final analysis to understanding why anything is the way it is you have to participate in this form. Plato believes that knowledge, truth and beauty are all good things so they must participate in the form of the good. This form alone makes all things intelligible. Plato believes that you will not find a satisfactory answer to your question until you discover why it is for the best that knowledge should exist and discovering that its equivalent to seeing its participation in the forms of the goodness itself. The ultimate form not only makes everything else intelligible but it also is responsible for the very existence of everything