Day: December 31, 2004

Plato lived from approximately 428-328 B.C. in ancient Greece. He was the student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle. St. Thomas Aquinas lived from A.D. 1224-1274, during the medieval period. Although separated by more than fifteen hundred years, few philosophers have had as much impact on western thought as these two men. Both introduced revolutionary ideas in the study of reality and knowledge. The purpose of this article is to present and compare the metaphysics and epistemology of Plato and St. Thomas Aquinas.

The topic of philosophy has intimidated many throughout modern history.  Many believe that it is reserved for the intellectually superior; that it is a discipline studied by a club of exclusive members of academia, with little or no practical value to the general masses or everyday life.  In reality, many people simply do not know what philosophy is and how it applies to them.

The purpose of this article is to define and explain philosophy.  It will also discuss some of the main issues of philosophy and the questions that it seeks to answer.