ancient philosophical influence

Question 1

why did plato create the analogy of the cave?

Answer 1

to explain the importance of questioning everything in order to distinguish between the unreal, physical world and the real spiritual world

Question 2

what does plato’s theory suggest about society?

Answer 2

that we do not see the forms clearly, only the illusionary physical world

Question 3

what does the prisoner represent? and what he was representing through it?

Answer 3

entrapment in the physical world, the prisoners need to be set free because the physical world impressions a person by stopping seeing forms

Question 4

what does the escapee represent? and what he was representing through it?

Answer 4

finding enlightenment, The freed prisoner feels, out of duty, that he must go below ground to educate the other prisoners, reflects Plato’s belief that those who see the Forms should be the leaders of society and not politicians who want to rule out of desire for power/ fame.

Question 5

what does the statue being carried represent? and what he was representing through it?

Answer 5

represent plato form, The statues in the cave are imitations of true reality of Forms and people carrying them are the same as those chained up in the cave because they shape the prisoner’s views.

Question 6

what does the fire represent? and what he was representing through it?

Answer 6

a poor imitation of the sun, shows prisoners are only aware of false version of sun
light from sun casts a shadow on the wall and things do not appear how they seem, accepted because its all they know

Question 7

what does the shadows represent? and what he was representing through it?

Answer 7

distorted ideas, all of the prisoners ideas are distorted just as the figures that move over the bridge are, material and physical concerns can blind people to what is really important

Question 8

what does the sun represent? and what he was representing through it?

Answer 8

The Form of the Good,It blinds the escapee initially which shows that humans can be blind to the truth and that it can be difficult to see.

Question 9

what does plato want us to understand through the forms?

Answer 9

relation between the physical, material world and the higher world of the forms
ignorance of humanity

Question 10

name three strengths of the analogy of forms

Answer 10

• fits in with religious teachings regarding the soul being eternal.
• true the physical world is ever changing and subject to flaws (telco)
• socrates said “the unexamined life is not worth living” so we should question everything around us to discover the truth which plato has done

Question 11

name three weaknesses of the analogy of forms?

Answer 11

• makes so sense to believe in a spiritual world that you cannot see over a physical world that you cannot see
• plato implies that all is necessary for. good society is philosophers however, practical skills, they may not be able to provide, are far more essential to society.
• Richard Dawkins would reject Plato’s analogy as it is not based observable evidence and relates to idea of a soul which Dawkins deems to be a mythological belief.

Question 12

what is a form?

Answer 12

the essence of what something is; its true representation or ideal standards (spirit of something)

Question 13

what type of state is the world in? therefore?

Answer 13

a state of flux (change) therefore nothing can be trusted

Question 14

Plato’s maths example?

Answer 14

socrates sets a slave boy a math problem, the boy knows the answer but has not be taught maths, plato suggests the slave boy remembers the answer to the problem, which has been in his mind all along . so according to plato, we do not learn new things, we remember them. knowledge is innate.

Question 15

what happens to our soul in the physical world?

Answer 15

is flawed by the physical world so only has a dim reflection of these forms what we see in this world are flawed copies of what really, truly exists in the ‘realm of the forms’

Question 16

how did plato describe the body according to the soul?

Answer 16

the body is “a prison of the soul” due to the fact that the body is concerned with the physical applies whereas the soul is concerned with that of the spiritual.

Question 17

name three strengths of Plato’s forms?

Answer 17

• plato is correct when he argues that the physical world is in a state of change (teleo)
• it supports christian doctrine about the idea of the soul being implanted bu god and acknowledges that the soul lives forever.
• We have some evidence that Forms exist we try to aim for ‘ideals’ and we know how important good is in highlighting everything and setting a standard

Question 18

name three weaknesses of Plato’s forms?

Answer 18

• no evidence of the forms because the theory is not based on empirical observation. (Dawkins)
• forms actually tell us nothing about our reality because we cannot see or experience them so how can we talk of them in a meaningful way or apply them to our Experience
• Bertrand Russell rejects the theory because when taken to its extremes it “falls into a bottomless pit of nonsense” e.g. the perfect Form of a slug! Or, of cancer

Question 19

what was Aristotle interested in?

Answer 19

why a piece of matter exists the way it does he argued for for but rejected Plato’s idea about the realm of forms on the grounds it cannot be observed empirically

Question 20

Aristotle created four causes what are they?

Answer 20

• material cause
• formal cause
• efficient cause
• final cause

Question 21

what is the material cause ?

Answer 21

what somethings made from, without this the thing could not exist

Question 22

what is the formal cause?

Answer 22

the characteristics of the item

Question 23

what is the efficient cause ?

Answer 23

the means by which it comes into existence

Question 24

what is the final cause?

Answer 24

the ultimate goal/purpose/function (teleos)

Question 25

according to the universe what did Aristotle argue in terms of cause?

Answer 25

there is a final cause for the universe; the prime mover

Question 26

give 3 strengths on Aristotles cause and purpose?

Answer 26

• based on observable, empirical evidence so has more substance than. plato’s form and is still revenant today
• his theory is compatible with science because he acknowledges the importance of the physical world
• Hume would support this materialistic stance

Question 27

give 3 weaknesses of Aristotles cause and purpose?

Answer 27

• Aristotles belief that the universe as a whole has a purpose or goal was rejected by Bertrand tussle “I would say that the universe is just there and that’s all”
• RD evolution being the reason behind things having a purpose
• Descartes sects theory and argues for an a priori approach to gaining knowledge (true knowledge comes form reason alone)

Question 28

what did Aristotle question about the world ?

Answer 28

everything within time and space is subject to change and so we must ask ‘what caused it to be?’ he believed that all movement depends on a mover

Question 29

what did Aristotle question about the effect and final causes of the universe?

Answer 29

concluded tat due to its state of change, there must be a cause creating it

Question 30

for Aristotle how did the prime mover come about?

Answer 30

an endless chain of causes us impossible so, it must lead back to a beginning point which itself is unmoved

Question 31

what was Aristotles conclusion: q

Answer 31

what causes everything to be or started off the chain of cause and effect must therefore be aspatial and atemporal

Question 32

what is the prime mover?

Answer 32

the final cause because it had no potential to become part of a chain, is nit contingent, does not physically move things but attracts things due to perfection

Question 33

what does the prime mover give to everything?

Answer 33

its teleos