Plato and Aristotle Detail from The School of Athens, 1509-1510AD Painted by Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio, 1483-1520) Aristotle's hand motion summarizes his philosophy: that the meaning of man is to be found on the earth. He motions toward the ground. From the ideas he wrote he can be seen as the father of Western Civilization (reason; man is an animal -- an organic mortal soul). Plato's hand points up to the sky summarizing his philosophy: that the meaning of man is to be found in the heavens. From the ideas he wrote he can be seen as the father of world religion (the immortal soul), especially Christianity and Islam. The two hand motions of this painting by Renaissance artist Raphael summarizes all of mankind's history. Far from being inconsequential to everyday existence these basic ideas underlie all of present day humanity as well. For example, the men who designed and constructed the World Trade Centers in New York, their philosophy is that of Aristotle's. The men who brought down the World Trade Centers in New York, their philosophy is that of Plato's.