Aristotle Flashcards
what question did aristotle try to answer
How do we explain change?
what main ideas did aristotle come up with
- formal logic
- syllogism
- 4 causes
- potentiality/actuality
- substance
- soul
- 2 ends
- virtues
what is formal logic?
an oragon (tool that helps acheive thoughts more dependably) in order to argue well
what makes up formal logic?
the categories- divided into substance and accidents
what is a substance?
something that exists on its own, a uniqueness that allows us to exist
what are the 9 accidents
- quality
- quantity
- relation
- place
- time
- posture
- passion
- action
- posession
how are categories come about?
derived from human experience
what is an accident?
anything that modifies a substance
what is quality
anything that doesn’t fit other accidents
what is quantity and give example
2 types: measurement or counting (discrete/continuous)
eg. tree=20ft, 20 trees
what is relation and give example
relation/connection between 2 substances
eg. tree gives shelter to humans
what is place and give example
anything spatial
eg. tree is by river
what is time and give example
period that has passed
eg. tree has grown for 20 years
what is posture and give example
certain positions; if postures isn’t normal = deeper message
eg. tree upright vs. on the ground
what is passion and give example
what is done to a substance
eg. tree cut down
what is action and give example
something a substance can do
eg. tree provides oxygen
what is possesion and give example
owning something substances can have that can be significant
eg. trees have wood, leaves
What is an argument?
arguing a position to reach conclusion
what is a syllogism?
using a 2 premise (using reason and support) to reach a conclusion
what are 2 requirements for a good argument
content and validity
what is content?
content that has to be good and true that correspond with things -> making premises to be true
what is validity?
if premises actually lead to a conclusion (think structure of an argument)
What is a substance made of?
matter: distinguished beings with same form
form: makes something to be a substance
what are the types of substance?
natural (tree,dog,human) and artifact-something made up of things that already exist (desk, chair, etc)
what is matter related to
body
what is form related to
soul
what are the 4 causes answering
how to come up with fundamental idea
what are the 4 questions and their causes
1) what is ___ -> formal cause
2) what is ___ made of -> material cause
3) who/what made ____? -> efficient cause
4) for what is ___ (purpose)? -> final cause
how do we explain change?
moving from potentiality and actuality
what is potentiality?
ability to do something/to become something else; in order to have potential need to already have actuality
what is actuality?
the way things fundamentally are; what we know we are makes us capable based off of actuality; what’s ready there
how do potentiality and actuality relate to matter and form?
potentiality = matter -> retains same matter underneath actuality = form -> changes
are there different types of change?
yes
what are the 2 types of change?
accidental and substantial
what are accidental changes?
allowing substance that already exists to be modified, but stays same through experience
eg. getting haircut
what are substantial changes?
a change where form is different from beginning to end
eg. tree -> burns to ashes
Na Cl -> salt
how does change look with potentiality and actuality?
potentiality -> (influences) actuality
|
-> this change affects new potentiality
what are the different types of soul?
- Rational
- Sensitive
- Vegitative
What is a vegitative soul?
no sense/respond naturally
eg. plants
what is a sensitive soul
of using senses/more of reacting instinctively
eg. animals
what is a rational soul
can think through senses, and curb instincts AKA reason
eg. humans
according to Aristotle, what are humans and why?
rational animals
bc have potential to reason -> have actuality to learn THEREFORE LEARNING IS A PROCESS OF CHANGE
What are the 2 ends according to aristotle
the 2) instrumental and 1) intrinsic end
what is the intrinsic end?
the will of the good for others and vice versa -> good for own sake
what is the instrumental end?
using something to achieve something else
what is the ultimate end of human life?
happiness, an intrinsic end that actualizes potential
what is a virtue?
perfection of some ability we have and do it consistently, practice -> perfect -> becomes a virtue; part of soul and part of human
what is meant by a golden mean?
not too much and not little, balance of something, temperance
what is a vice?
something bad that only takes once to make a character, but not defining attribute
