This document provides an overview of the ideas of ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle and how they relate to the philosophy of Ayn Rand. It discusses the brief history of Plato's Lyceum school in Athens and highlights Plato and Aristotle's foundational contributions to Western culture. The document examines key concepts from Plato like the Allegory of the Cave and how it relates to Ayn Rand's novella Anthem. It also analyzes Aristotle's unique contributions to the five branches of philosophy and how his views on metaphysics and objective reality are connected to Ayn Rand's philosophy.

1. From Plato Cave to Aristotle
and Ayn Rand Skyscrapers
Overview on the ideas of the great philosophers of ancient Greece in relation to
Ayn Rand literature and Philosophy
Boaz Arad
Lyceum, Athens Nov. 2nd 2019

2. Subjects
• Brief history of the Lyceum
• Plato and Aristotle the Architects of the western culture
• The importance of philosophy (Ayn Rand)
• The five brunches of philosophy and the unique contribution of
Aristotle
• Allegory of the Cave and Anthem by Ayn Rand
• Aristotle and Ayn Rand

3. The Lyceum site. Roman Baths,
The floor (on the Left) has been
removed to reveal the empty
space where the hot air flowed
through to heat the floor.
Photo: Boaz Arad

4. MAP 1: Detail of "Plan of Athens,
for the Travels of Anacharsis, May
1784” by Jean-Denis Barbié du
Bocage (1760-1825).

5. MAP 2: French guide book map of
Athens by L. Thuillier, 1896,
showing the site of the Lyceum
(right). The "Palais Royal" (Royal
Palace) is now known as the Vouli,
the home of Greece's parliament
on Syntagma Square. The "Jardins
Royal" (Royal Gardens) are now
the National Gardens. Guides
Joanne, Hachette & Cie., Paris,
1896.

6. Raphael, School of Athens, 1509-
1511, fresco (Stanza della
Segnatura, Palazzi Pontifici,
Vatican), painted between 1509
and 1511 in the Vatican, Rome.

7. Raphael, detail of Plato and Aristotle, School of
Athens, 1509-1511, fresco (Stanza della
Segnatura, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican)

8. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle time line.
Source: Khan Academy Classical Greece Socrates Plato and Aristo (Overview)

9. Charles DeGeorge's, La Jeunesse d'Aristotle
(Aristotle's Youth), a marble sculpture from
1875.(Musee d'orsay, paris) Photo: Boaz Arad

10. Above: "That most enduring of romantic images, Aristotle tutoring the
future conqueror Alexander“, Illustration by Charles Laplante [fr], 1866
Right: Aristotle tutors Alexander the Great. From Animals and their
Uses/Kitab na't al-hayawan wa-manafi'ihi by Aristotle, this edition by ibn
Bakhtishu'(?), Middle East, 13th century. (From the British Museum)

11. Jacques-Louis David, The Death
of Socrates (French: La Mort de
Socrate) 1787. Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York.
See in Wikipedia

12. The allegory of the cave, or Plato's
Cave, was presented by the Greek
philosopher Plato in his work
Republic (514a–520a).
See in Wikipedia

13. Plato's forms exist as universals, like
the ideal form of an apple. For
Aristotle, both matter and form
belong to the individual thing.
See in Wikipedia
Plato VS. Aristotle's theory of
Universals

14. © Sandra J. Shaw illustration for the Hebrew edition of
Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem. See:
https://www.sandrajshaw.com/anthem.html
Ayn Rand’s view on Plato and
Aristotle
“It is dark here. The flame of the candle stands still in the
air. Nothing moves in this tunnel save our hand on the
paper. We are alone here under the earth. It is a fearful
word, alone. The laws say that none among men may be
alone, ever and at any time, for this is the great
transgression and the root of all evil. But we have broken
many laws. And now there is nothing here save our one
body, and it is strange to see only two legs stretched on the
ground, and on the wall before us the shadow of our one
head.”
Ayn Rand, Anthem 1938, (Part I)

15. Ayn Rand’s Metaphysics: Objective
Reality (Primacy of existence)

16. Aristotle Metaphysics
Aristotle, Metaphysics, IV, 3 (W. D. Ross, trans.)
Book 7 of the Metaphysics: Ens dicitur
multipliciter- the word 'being' is meant
in many ways. From a manuscript of
William of Moerbeke's translation
(Wikipedia)

17. Ayn Rand view on Aristotle
Metaphysics

18. Ayn Rand view on Aristotle

19. Thank you
boaz@aynrand.org.il