Lobelia asked:

I'm studying Plato and Aristotle, I need to know what are the main differences between the two on the
theory of the body and the soul?

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Plato gives an ontological priority to the soul, and definitely believes it COULD exist separate from the
body, and quite possibly believes it DOES exist separate from the body (i.e. before birth and after
death.)

Aristotle sees the soul as distinct from the body, but dependent upon the body for it's existence. Also,
Aristotle sees the body as dependent for the soul for it's existence. A soul without a body is an
unintelligible concept to Aristotle, the biologist that he is. And, a body without a soul is also
unintelligible (that's a corpse, or just a big pile of earth, water, air, and fire — but not flesh).

Think of the Aristotelian body and soul as analogous to a husband and a wife in a marriage:
husbands need wives to be in marriages, and wives need husbands to be in marriages, husbands
cannot exist but in a marriage, and wives cannot exist but in a marriage. The same goes for the body
and the soul.

Luke Fedoroff