Final answer:
Plato and Aristotle's ambition in philosophy was the pursuit of knowledge and understanding of truth, with Plato focusing on accessing and conveying the truths of the transcendental world of forms and Aristotle emphasizing the comprehension of the material world and human flourishing as the ultimate end of action.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ambition of philosophers like Plato and Aristotle was deeply rooted in their pursuit of knowledge and truth. Plato's philosophy centered around the transcendental world of the forms, a realm that he perceived to be eternal and unchanging, which encompasses abstract concepts like truth, beauty, justice, and wisdom. He believed that philosophers should access this immaterial realm and convey its truths to others. His idea was that understanding the nature of these forms would inexorably lead to virtuous action, advocating that philosopher-kings should rule states for they possess this understanding, albeit imperfectly due to the ever-changing material world.
Aristotle, while also aiming to comprehend the universe, took a more this-worldly approach, focusing on the material existence without rejecting reason and understanding as tools for achieving knowledge. He identified the senses as reliable sources for genuine insights, despite their imperfections. Aristotle's pursuit of knowledge ranged across various domains, from logic and biology to ethics and politics. He wrote extensively on these subjects and believed that every action and pursuit aimed at some good, with the ultimate end being eudaimonia, or human flourishing.
Aristotle parted ways with Plato on some philosophical doctrines, moving away from the concept of transcendental forms and adopting a more materialistic view, with the exception of his concept of 'unmoved mover'. For both philosophers, the ambition was to reach an understanding of the world that could guide a reasoned and orderly life.