Ancient Philosophical Influences Flashcards
‘Aristotle’s use of the senses to make sense of reality is more effective than Plato’s reliance on reason.’ Discuss. [40]
Para 1: Senses should not be dismissed
Para 2: Empiricism is much more accessible to the general public
Para 3: Aristotle gives a clearer explanation to ‘goodness’
‘Aristotle’s use of the senses to make sense of reality is more effective than Plato’s reliance on reason.’ Discuss. [40]
Para 1
Senses should not be dismissed
WV
- Plato does make the valid argument that senses should be dismissed
- Senses deceive – optical illusions
- Descartes – Cartesian doubt
- Have to check a posteriori knowledges
- Innate rationalism supported by one over many argument
SV
- Wittgenstein – overlapping characteristics
- Scientists recognise the uncertainty in a posteriori knowledge
- Empiricism allows us the understand new knowledge
- Rationalism can arrive at ridiculous conclusions e.g. Santa exists
‘Aristotle’s use of the senses to make sense of reality is more effective than Plato’s reliance on reason.’ Discuss. [40]
Para 2
Empiricism is much more accessible to the general public
WV
- Theory of the forms is accessible through the analogy of the cave
- Neither are explained thoroughly – problem of interaction and both end up being too vague
SV
- Empiricism uses science and though the four causes we see this
Philosopher kings
- Plato has elitist ideas e.g. analogy of the chariot
‘Aristotle’s use of the senses to make sense of reality is more effective than Plato’s reliance on reason.’ Discuss. [40]
Para 3
Aristotle gives a clearer explanation to ‘goodness’
WV
- Form of the good explains how goodness is measured based on somethings level of participation in it
- Does help to explain how we identify things to be ‘good’
- Aristotle’s explanation could be confusing as it determines ‘good’ based on how well something fulfils its purpose (telos), but should we really be calling bombs good?
SV
- What are we calling good, bombs are good at causing mass destruction, maybe not morally good but they do complete their job in a successful manner
- FOTG suggests that ‘goodness’ is fixed when sometimes the definitions change e.g. public executions used to be a good thing and form of entertainment
- Aristotle’s good is more consistent with our empirical reality which shows change in things toards the PM
- Easy to observe empirically compared to Plato’s FOTG
Critically evaluate Aristotle’s views on the Prime Mover. [40] (A Level 2022)
Para 1: Aristotle’s views of telos are flaws
Para 2: Problem with contrasts with the God of classical theism
Para 3: The way in which he reaches the Prime Mover contrasts and belittles the rest of his work
Critically evaluate Aristotle’s views on the Prime Mover. [40] (A Level 2022)
Para 1
Aristotle’s views of telos are flaws
WV
- We observe purpose in everything
- Comforting to believe that everything has a purpose
- Perhaps the telos of natural objects is just the natural object itself – the process of the natural object coming into reality
SV
- Hume’s fallacy of composition – false assumption that what is true of the parts is true of the whole
- Somethings don’t have an apparent purpose e.g. appendix
- We apply purpose to things, it is not intrinsic
- Just because something is comforting doesn’t make it true
- This only creates more contradictions as you could then say the telos for the world is itself and not the PM
- Evolution gives the illusion of purpose – it happens just does not intend
- Existentialists argue we create our own purpose (Satre)
Critically evaluate Aristotle’s views on the Prime Mover. [40] (A Level 2022)
Para 2
Problem with contrasts with the God of classical theism
WV
- Creates things through the process of attraction
- Analogy of the cat and milk saucer
- Avoids problem of evil as it is unaware of evil and suffering especially regarding J.L.Mackie’s inconsistent triad as evil existing is not the fault of God
- Influenced Christian god – same attributes
SV
- Need to accept that the world is eternal – reject Big Bang theory and the Bible
- If God cannot change anything then why do we pray?
- What is the point of worship?
- Unloving God?
- Aquinas has a better interpretation
- How can a being be perfect if it doesn’t know of out existence?
Critically evaluate Aristotle’s views on the Prime Mover. [40] (A Level 2022)
Para 3
The way in which he reaches the Prime Mover contrasts and belittles the rest of his work
WV
- Prime Mover is incorporeal so Aristotle must use rationalism to prove it
- Gives comfort to explain change
- Potentiality – actuality
- Material and formal follow scientific approach which shows his scientific understanding
- Helps to understand how the world functions
SV
- Proves the limits of empiricism and subsequently the school of knowledge he uses to prove the rest of his work
- Contradicts our scientific understanding
- Problem of interaction
- David Hume – confusion of correlation and causation
- His scientific understanding of the universe is wrong
Evaluate Plato’s view on the hierarchy of the Forms, including the Form of the Good. [40] (A Level 2020)
Para 1: Problems with rationalism
Para 2: Need to first accept Forms which are vague in nature
Para 3: Elitist and being in a hierarchy defeats the point
Evaluate Plato’s view on the hierarchy of the Forms, including the Form of the Good. [40] (A Level 2020)
Para 1
Problems with rationalism
WV
- Innate rationalist
- Truth cannot exist in the Realm of Appearances, and it is subject to change (makes sense for there to be an unchanging world)
- Body traps the Form/soul
- Rationalism gives clear information which you do not need to double check
- Problem of induction
- Senses deceive – Decartes
- One over many
- Meeno’s slave boy
SV
- Empiricism has existed for centuries, and we have used it to advance and understand the world – gained information which we would have otherwise been unable to rationally
- Wittgenstein – family resemblance theory
- Leading questions
- Cannot will something to just exist
- If we reject Forms, then the whole theory will collapse
Evaluate Plato’s view on the hierarchy of the Forms, including the Form of the Good. [40] (A Level 2020)
Para 2
Need to first accept Forms which are vague in nature
WV
- Realm of Forms and realm of appearances
- Particulars imitate Forms – to achieve perfection of them (how he explains change)
- An absolute good is needed to maintain order in society and act as a moral guide
- Logical that they all participate in the FotG
SV
- Problem of interaction
- How does participation work?
- Too many unanswered questions
- Is there an infinite number of Forms?
- Seems illogical to say that things that have not been invented yet exist alongside things that are extinct
Evaluate Plato’s view on the hierarchy of the Forms, including the Form of the Good. [40] (A Level 2020)
Para 3
Elitist and being in a hierarchy defeats the point
WV
- Analogy of the cave – the man coming into the light is him gaining the real truth (demonstrates how the sun illuminating the world just how the FOTG illuminates the Forms)
- The sun is the Form of the Good
- Only innate rationalist philosophers have access to this knowledge (the only ones willing to make the tough journey to understanding the truth of the world) – philosopher kings
- Prisoners reaction could be true – sometimes people do respond to truth with anger
- Those who are ignorant to the Form of the Good they will then do bad things
- If you give people the choice they will make good decisions, they need to look for and understand the FotG to be good
- Hierarchy gives people a moral to strive for
SV
- Elitist – disregards non-philosophers
- Putting it into a hierarchy defeats the point of all Forms being equal – perfection is an ungradable adjective
- Just because something is comforing does not make it true
- People are far more nuanced to just say that they would react with anger to the “truth”
Plato’s Form of the Good is more convincing than Aristotle’s Prime Mover.’ Discuss. [40] (AS Level 2023)
Para 1: Issues that they are both arrived at rationally
Para 2: Issues with morality
Para 3: PM is ultimately better as it solves problems that the FotG cannot save itself from
Plato’s Form of the Good is more convincing than Aristotle’s Prime Mover.’ Discuss. [40] (AS Level 2023)
Para 1
Issues that they are both arrived at rationally
WV
- PM and FotG are both transcendent and immaterial so must be arrived at rationally
- Rational truth is definite
- Empiricism has its flaws
- Senses decieve us – optical illusions
SV
- There is no empirical, scientific proof
- By Aristotle using rationalism it proves the limits of empiricism and contradicts the rest of his work
- Empiricism does have it benefits
- Plato’s dismission of empiricism is foolish
- Bigger problem for Aristotle
Plato’s Form of the Good is more convincing than Aristotle’s Prime Mover.’ Discuss. [40] (AS Level 2023)
Para 2
Issues with morality
WV
- FotG gives a moral standard
- Those who are ignorant to it make bad actions, people are intrinsically good
- FotG explains how goodness is measured in how much it participates in the FotG
- Comforting
SV
- FotG suggests that goodness is fixed which it is not e.g. public executions used to be deemed as entertainment
- Aristotle’s Pm is more consistent with our empirical reality which shows change in things moving towards PM
- Easier to observe PM empirically than FotG (attraction)
- Aquinas – people arent instrincically good but inclined to do good and when they make mistakes it is because of confusion with real and apparent goods
