Both Plato and Aristotle agree that justice exists in an
objective sense: that is, it dictates a belief that the good life
should be provided for all individuals no matter how high or low their
social status (Hacker 91). "In democracies, for example, justice is
considered to mean equality, in oligarchies, again inequality in the
distribution of office is considered to be just, " says Aristotle
(Hacker 91). Plato sees the justice and law as what sets the
guidelines for societal behavior.
Aristotle puts emphasis on the institution of the polis
(Hacker 77). This institution is not the state or society merely the
larger unit of the two (hacker 77). Neither Plato nor Aristotle found
it to be necessary to distinguish between the state nor society and
therefore it is difficult to define polis (Hacker 77). The polis was
set up to allow political participation on the part of the average
citizen (Hacker 80). This contradicts Plato's theory of one ruling
class controlling the political power and all decisions that effect
the entire society. The theory of Democracy that Aristotle derived
states that democracy is a "perversion" form of government of "polity"
(Hacker 92). Aristotle said, "The people at large should be sovereign
rather than the few best" (Hacker 92). Plato would never allow the
full public participation in government as Aristotle would like.
According to Plato public judgments of approval and disapproval are
based on belief and not on knowledge (Hacker 59).
Plato thinks that is a revolution were to take place it would
be a palace revolution (Hacker 64). A palace revolution occurs when < ...