Ancient Philosophical Influences Flashcards
Forms
a name Plato gave to Ideal concepts
Reason
using logical steps and thought processes in order to reach conclusions
Rationalist
someone who thinks the primary source of knowledge is reason
Empiricist
someone who thinks the primary source of knowledge is gained through the 5 senses
Prime mover
Aristotle’s concept of the ultimate cause of movement and change in the universe
Aetion
an explanatory factor , a reason , cause for something
Plato
Greek philosopher , rationalist , dualist who came from an aristocratic athenian family
Theory of forms - origin
Plato noticed that the physical world was always changing - How could people attain true and certain knowledge ? He came to the conclusion that things in the world were in constant change thus can never be objects of complete true knowledge .. form of tree never changes and does not depend on physical circumstance for its existence
Theory of forms
Plato believed that all the material things we experience in the world around us are imitations of their perfect form - We gain true knowledge through reason and we recognise things for what they are only bcs of our knowledge of their forms .
Heraclitus
” You can never step into the same rive twice”
Forms continued e.g Justice
When we see someone doing an act of justice we recognise it as justice bcs we know what true justice really is as a concept .
Forms continued e.g Circles
we see things which are circular such as plates , clocks , wheels , we even draw circles in maths lessons but they will never be perfect circles however our mental concept of a circle is perfect but when translated in the the physical world it loses some of its perfections
intiuition and the forms
Plato decided that we had some intuitions about the forms e.g beauty and it must be because we experienced them thus we have immortal souls and must have lived in the realm of forms before being born into the physical world .
The form of the Good
The most important of all forms - it illuminates all of the other forms and gives them their value and the rest of our knowledge . Goodness is seen as the purest , most abstract of the forms
Demiurge
Plato believed the world was created by a god he called the Demiurge - he made the world with that material already present , he tries to make the universe as good as he can but is limited and so the final result is not perfect but the best it could be . As the world is physical and so can be changed . The deimurge isnt the epitome of goodness but he is still good.
Dawkins
Richard Dawkins - it is nonsense to talk of an other world beyond the physical - the world may be changing but we can still study it with all its changes and processes and gain true and valuable knowledge .
Analogy of Cave
In the cave there are prisoners , they are chained in such a way that they can only face one direction , and sat facing the back wall of the cave , the only light available comes from a fire behind them . People go along the low wall carrying different objects as they pass the fire the shadows of the objects are reflected so the prisoners can see … however the reflection does not show the true nature of the objects similarly the voices they hear are echoes .. then the prisoners are released and a prisoner is shocked to find the truth ..things are not as they seem he does not want to accept this and runs back to fire but soon his eyes will become accustomed to light .. and will leave
would there be forms of negative qualties
Aristotle says the theory of forms is ridiculous when pushed to logical extremities it is hard to accept there may be ideal forms of negative qualities like jealousy or spite
Plants ? what would the form look like
another problem with the theory of forms can be seen if we use the example of plants in which case what would it be ? would it have small or big leaves ? coloured flowers ? a scent? Even if each species has a different form there are still variations within the species.
Plato concentated on forms of qualities
could be argued that plato concentrated on the forms of qualities , he himself is ambiguous about if there is a form for everything
why does no one study forms
does not have scientific evidence to support it . if they are so necessary for true knowledge why does no one study them or why do we not we have access to it
Ayer
A.j Ayer argues when talking about something being good or bad we simply express our own emotional reaction to it and so it does not refer to any real knowledge . Furthermore goodness cant be a singular form it has to be related to specific actions etc
Third Man Argument
The Third Man Argument (TMA) purports to show that if there is even one form of F, there are infinitely many forms of F; if, for example, there is even one form of man, there are infinitely many forms of man.
Aristotle
empiricist and founder of many sciences we recognise today : physics , biology , psychology , meteorology , astronomy ,one of plato’s brightest students at the academy and came from well off macedonian family.
Rejection of WOF
For Aristotle the journey to knowledge begins here and must be gained through observation of the world around us he believed ideas could have no real existence on their own
Aristotles understanding of reality
Aetion was the term used by aristotle when thinking of why changes occur and the question of cause he was fascinated by this . He determined cause could be understood in 4 ways
The Material Cause
the first cause , this explains what something is made from… its material.
The Formal cause
the second , this is the the form , shape that something has . the formal cause gives something its shape and allows it to be identified as whatever it is
The efficient cause
the third , the activity that makes something happen e.g the efficient cause of a desk is a carpenter , the efficient cause brings about the change in something
The final cause
the final and most important , the final cause of something is its purpose and its reason for existing at all . this can be understood as Telos.
Axe and telos
for aristotle something was good when it fulfilled its telos e.g an axe is a good axe if it cuts well
Background to Prime mover
aristotle like many others realised the universe was in constant change and motion , therefore he thought there must be some kind of efficent cause someone or something performing some kind of action to make all this change and motion happen. He rejected that there must be endless cause and effect as it wasnt satisfactory.
More on Prime mover
the cause of the universe aristotle thought must be God . God must be the prime mover , a cause which actualises the potential in everything else . But the prime mover must be something that causes without being affected otherwise it would be an endless chain.
the qualties of the Prime mover
The prime mover causes change and motion by attracting things towards itself - it does nothing but is the object of everything . The final cause of movement is a desire for God/PM . Everything in the universe is drawn to God’s / PM’s perfection and thus wants to imitate it and so by this great attraction the PM causes movement in everything else.
Nature of the Prime mover
- doesnt depend on anything else for its existence
- eternal
- perfectly good
- immaterial and beyond time and space
5.final cause of everything
Evaluation - aristotle
A rejects platos belief in another world yet believes in a prime mover
Evaluation
A’s belief in telos has been critised by many e.g Russell .They claim it makes no sense for the universe to have a purpose it just exsists and that is all there is nothing a universe is supposed to do.
Aristotle Evaluation
Theists reject the version of God A presents they argue his God is irrelevant to humans and the universe it has no interaction and unaffected by it
FOG VS PM
FOG + PM give an answer to the question on why anything exists at all . FOG - illuminates everything else , physical things imitate the forms similarly the PM is seen as the primary cause of everything the reason why things are in motion
FOG VS PM
FOG+ PM have a necessary existence they depend on nothing else for their own existence .
FOG VS PM
nether FOG + PM have interest in moral affairs of humanity . The PM has no interest in anything and cant interact with the world otherwise would be affected
FOG VS PM
FOG is not a being with a mind , it has no intentions or emotions it has no activity it is solely goodness whilst the PM draws things itself making them move and change and can think
Platos Rationalism VS Aristotles empiricism
Rationalism presents us with the view that reason is the ultimate way to gain knowledge . Plato advocates rationalism as the world is on constant change and cant give us certain knowledge . Rationalist argue that reason is superior as our senses can mislead us e.g pencil in water
R VS E
A’s empricism is an example that all our knowledge is experience . we encounter the world through our senses first and then we use these sense experiences to form our concepts. Empircists may argue experience is superior to reason bcs reason is limited unless it has sense experience to provide it with information . e.g weather and whether to take clothes drying outside - you need to look .
R VS E
many ppl argue there is no need to choose btw the 2 we can use both together in some areas of knowledge reason is more important e.g maths and in other areas empircism is more needed eg. science
evaluation aristotle
humans can give things puropse so there is no need for a prime mover
