The concept of "good" universally denotes conduct that should be preferred over evil, though its specific meaning varies significantly across cultures, history, and philosophical or religious contexts. In Western thought, the absolute distinction between "good" and "bad" emerged around 400 BC with Pre-Socratic philosophers, later solidifying in the dialogues of Plato. Plato, notably in The Republic, introduced the pivotal "Form of the Good," which he analogized to the sun as the ultimate source enabling all knowledge and understanding, considering it superior to being itself. However, his student Aristotle critically diverged, arguing that Plato's abstract Form of the Good was irrelevant to the physical world and human ethics, offering no practical explanation for real-world events. This fundamental debate between Plato and Aristotle profoundly shaped subsequent Western philosophical and religious discussions on morality, influencing Neoplatonists, Gnostics, and early Church Fathers.