1.1 - Ancient Philosophical Influences Flashcards
Plato’s Understanding of reality
-reality consists of physical world and form world
-physical world known through experience, empirical
-form world known through reason, more convincing
-form world is unchanging, knowledge lasts forever
-physical world given reality by the forms
What is the cave analogy
-prisoners who have always been stuck in a cave
-watch shadows of the real world going by
-one day a prisoner leaves and discovers real world
-he is enlightened by the superior form world
-he tries to tell fellow prisoners of it but no response
Why create the cave analogy
-cave = physical world, real world = world of forms
-shows how sense gained knowledge is misleading
-we will never be enlightened till we see form world
What are Plato’s forms
-concepts, ideas and universals of everything that exists
-if we know form of ‘justice’ then we know it in real world
-superior to physical things as they are unchanging
-form of good is the highest of all the forms
How do we know the forms
-known through reason
-we know about them innately so must have seen them previously
-therefore we must have souls which are capable of being in this world without out bodies
Criticisms of Plato
-no evidence to prove a form world
-theory is not fully explained, how specific are forms
-plato doesnt say where the form world is
-‘good’ can mean different things to everyone
Praise of plato
-its wise to think theres more to reality than physical world
-the theory that our senses mislead us is valuable
Aristotle’s understanding of reality
-if anything other than physical world exists there is no way of knowing about it
-reality can be explained in different ways
-the four causes explain whats around us
Aristotle’s four causes
-1. Material cause, explains what something is made of#
-2. Formal cause, explains what shape something takes
-3. Efficient cause Explains activity that makes something happen, potential into reality
-4. Final Cause, somethings reason to exist, telos/purpose
Four causes example
-1. Chair is made of glue and wood - Material
-2. Chair has square seat and straight back - Formal
-3. Maker realises woods ability to create chair - Efficient
-4. A good chair is sturdy and comfortable - Final
What is the prime mover
-first of all substances, exists necessarily
-eternal and sets into motion everything in universe
-no potential for change, already perfect and actual
-ultimate reason for everything, universes final cause
Why did Aristotle believe in prime mover
-thought there must be a prime mover to account for change in the physical world
-didn’t think an endless cause and effect chain was possible
Criticisms of Aristotle
-lacks clarity, we only have fragments of his writing
-dismisses Plato’s other worldly beliefs too quickly
-doesn’t make a certain conclusion for universes creation
Key Thinkers: Richard Dawkins
-against Aristotle universe doesn’t have a telos, just exists
-against Plato that it makes no sense to mention a world beyond ours we have no knowledge of, although our world is changeable we can still study its processes
Key Thinkers: AJ Ayer
-when we talk of something good or bad we are simply saying our emotional reaction to it, not real knowledge
