Ancient Greek Influences

Question 1

Define a-priori knowledge

Answer 1

Knowledge gathered through the senses and experience

Question 2

Define dualism

Answer 2

The belief in two worlds, realms, or universes

Question 3

Define material world/ shadow world

Answer 3

The world we live in

Question 4

Define World of the Forms

Answer 4

A second world in which Plato believed the forms exist

Question 5

Define form

Answer 5

A forms is a perfect, eternal and constant version of something, containing the pure essence of what makes something what it is.

Question 6

Define Form of the Good

Answer 6

The ultimate form which all the other forms participate in

Question 7

Define particulars

Answer 7

Objects that participate in a form

Question 8

Define soul

Answer 8

The eternal and spiritual part of a human

Question 9

Explain what different elements of the analogy of the cave represent

Answer 9

The prisoners represent human beings trapped in a world of shadows they consider reality
The shadows represent the material world, imperfect, changeable illusions
The people/ objects outside the cave represent the forms, true reality
The sun represents the form of the Good, the forms are visible to him because of it
The escaped prisoner represents philosophers who challenge the world around them and seek the truth

Question 10

What steps in his logic did Plato take to reach the theory of the forms?

Answer 10

Objects share some sort of commonality, eg beauty yet remain completely different to each other (the forms must be what they have in common)

Truth is constant, and the world around us is always changing, therefore there must be another realm where these constant concepts exist

The forms all share common features, perfection, timelessness, unchanging, and therefore must all participate in an ultimate form.

Question 11

Aristotle’s criticisms of Plato

Answer 11

1. No evidence, just a theory
2. Ridiculous when pushed to extremes. There must be perfect forms of negative things (rebuttal- negatives are just very poor reflections)
3. Makes our world meaningless and encourages a lack of appreciation for the world around us, adds nothingnto our lives
4. Plato uses ‘empty words and poetical metaphors’, everything is rough and vague, doesn’t use evidence to explain how or why

Question 12

Why could Plato’s theory be called elitist and unfair?

Answer 12

Plato said only those intellectually gifted can access the forms, may are unworthy. He doesn’t allow others the same opportunity for learning. Anyone who disagrees with him can be dismissed as intellectually unworthy

Question 13

Give some strengths of Plato’s theory

Answer 13

1. Explains imperfections
2. Encourages us to question reality and challenge ourselves
3. Brian Davies argued that it helps us to understand abstract concepts which are difficult to understand, highlights their importance

Question 14

Give 7 characteristics of Aristotle’s Prime Mover?

Answer 14

Pure actuality- has no potential for change
Unmoved- PM cannot move as that would involve change
Immaterial- matter is merely potential
Not a creator- Matter always existed
Disinterested- thinking involves change, if it were to think it would only think of itself
Necessary- Always existed, as coming in and out of existence involves change
Eternal- if it was caused, it would not be prime

Question 15

In what ways are Aristotle’s PM and Plato’s Form of the Good the same an/or different?

Answer 15

PM- Causes change, that is its purpose
Change can be good or bad

F of G- Pure goodness
Effects are always good

Similarities- Deals with change, an ultimate changing thing, material world always changes
Eternal, necessary
No interest in moral affairs
Neither think or have ideas
Both are perfect and cannot change, pure actuality

Question 16

List 7 key criticisms of Aristotle’s theory

Answer 16

1. Aristotle assumes the world has a beginning and purpose, there is no evidence too support this, Existentialists would argue the world has no purpose
2. Scientific evidence for the Big Bang suggests the world is always expanding, therefore cannot be attracted to the PM
3. Lack of detail, Aristotle names the efficient cause but doesn’t explain how change is brought about
4. Only gives one reason for change, despite change coming in many different forms. What decides what the change is if the object holds lots of potentiality and the PM is disinterested? Does the PM have an efficient cause?
5. Human beings give things a purpose, eg flour
6. Humans have no reason to worship the disinterested PM, therefore knowledge of its existence is useless
7. The fallacy of composition, just because it is true for the part, doesn’t mean its true for the whole. Everyone in the classroom has a black blazer, everyone in Kimbolton must have a black blazer. Purpose can change, and things can stop having purpose, eg male nipples and appendix

Question 17

Why does Aristotle reject the universe being an infinite chain of cause and effect?

Answer 17

Its not sufficient reason, doesn’t totally answer the question

Question 18

Main differences between Plato and Aristotle

Answer 18

Aristotle was an empiricist, Plato a rationalist

Plato only believed in one source of knowledge where’s Aristotle believed in many.

Question 19

Explain potentiality and actuality

Answer 19

Potentiality- the possibility to do something or be something
Actuality- when this potential is achieved
Objects have both actuality and potentiality and are always changing, then gaining the ability to change again
Aristotle was interested in what caused this change, and therefore decided the PM was the only thing with pourers actuality

Question 20

Define motus

Answer 20

Motion

Question 21

What is Aristotle’s theory of causation?

Answer 21

Material- cause of actualisation, what it is physically made from
Efficient- something external that brings about the effect
Formal- shape and design
Final- the purpose for its existence (everything has a telos and therefore humans do too)

Question 22

Use an example of a table to explain the 4 causes

Answer 22

Material- wood and nails
Formal- carpenters/ designers drawing
Efficient cause- its maker or builder
Final- Its purpose/ function of being a table