Spirituality - Lesson 7, Plato and Aristotle

Spirituality – Lesson 7, Plato and Aristotle Plato was a Greek philosopher and a student of Socrates .Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and a student of Plato. Aristotle taught humanity the art of logical deduction or deductive reasoning. Aristotle believed humans possess the ability to arrive at logical conclusions if they followed certain rules of deductive logical reasoning. He believed that unless One could actually see, taste, hear, smell or touch an object, person, or place, One could not truly have knowledge of it. Aristotle believed the only reality we as humans can perceive is what we can experience through our five senses. He acknowledged the existence of a fifth element (besides Earth, Water, Air & Fire) and he called it Aether. Aristotle described Aether as a divine substance that makes up the heavens and the stars. Perhaps, in a way, Aristotle was trying to describe what type of substances or matter or components make up the human Spirit or Soul. Aristotle felt that Aether was something that was beyond the realm of his understanding or any human's understanding at that moment in time. Was Aristotle trying to acknowledge what his teacher Plato had spoken of? Was he trying to acknowledge at least the existence of a Vital Life Force that one cannot see, taste, hear, smell or touch with the hand? Plato believed that what humans perceive with the five senses are but shadows of the perfect forms or ideas that exist somewhere else in the Great Beyond. Plato believed humans have access to this Great Beyond through our thoughts both conscious and unconscious. Plato and his student, Aristotle shared the belief that humans have the ability to think and reason. After studying the various works of Plato and Aristotle I have arrived at the conclusion that humans have the ability to think, reason and modify their thoughts and beliefs. Humans can alter their thoughts and transform the vibrational frequency of their thoughts through the use of various spiritual processes such as meditation or prayer. By utilizing the Spiritual processes of meditation and prayer humans can free their r minds from negative thoughts, perceptions and ideas. Negative thoughts are as chains that can bind one to unpleasant sensations or suffering. These chains of negative thought exist as desires or unrealistic expectations of the self and/or others .Humans have the ability to break the negative chains of desire that bind us to a person, object or situation. Plato believed humans have the ability and potential to leave their dark caves of ignorance that exist in their minds and enter into a place of enlightenment, harmony and joy. Respectfully Submitted by Rev. Susan K. Bowers