Aristotle Flashcards
Who was Aristotle?
Aristotle was Platos student
Aristotle was an EMPIRICIST. What does this mean?
It means he relied n the senses for true knowledge, rather than reason.
What were Aristotle’s four causes and what was their purpose?
The four causes tried to show that every event was explainable. MEFF Material What something is made of Formal The shape of the thing Efficient The primary source of change or rest (eg the carpenter made the carpet) Final cause It’s end purpose.
What were the strengths of the four causes?
There is evidence in the world.
Scientists agree with this.
Can be applied to things that are already proven .
Doesn’t overrule other theories like the Big Bang.
What are the weaknesses of the four causes?
Plato- experience is unreliable (everything changes)
Not everything appears the same for everyone.
chance or luck DOESNT fit in with this.
Emotions have no material or formal cause, meaning it’s final cause may be questioned.
Things could have more than one final cause.
What was Aristotle’s view on the forms?
He didn’t agree-he believed that forms don’t exist independently, a form is attributed to a thing, and without the form, the thing wouldn’t exist or would be a new thing entirely.
What are accidental forms?
Aristotle believed that accidental forms can be lost or gained without changing the things nature. They aren’t created, but they arent eternal. They are introduces when something is made, or later.such as the colour white,
What was both Plato and Aristotle’s central ethical problem?
How to live a good life
What was happiness to Aristotle?
Happiness was a kind of activity, guided by the perfect amount of something.
For example, a temperate person would avoid eating to little or too much.
What did Aristotle believe about purpose?
He believed that everything has a purpose, and we can understand it through perceiving what it’s supposed to do.
What was Aristotle’s prime mover
Ache recognised everything was in a state of flux. For every moment, a chain of events caused it. All of these chains mspust lead back to something that started it, but remained unmoved.
Like a magnet, it attracts things to its telos (final purpose) without moving itself.
It doesn’t depend on anything
It’s eternal, perfect, immaterial and transcendent.
What are the strengths of the prime mover?
It’s a logical view. There must be a start.
Can be applied to almost everything
Explains all motion and change.
What are the weaknesses of the prime mover?
Where did the matter that makes up the universe come from?
If the prime mover is so powerful, why can’t it interact with the world?
If it’s just spiritual energy and cannot interact with anything,how can anything interact with it?
What are some arguments against rationalism?
Colours can only be known through expirence.
We can only imagine a perfect version of something If we have seen it.
Rationalists have been wrong before
Most science is formed on empiricist principles- we can change and improve, whereas rationalist would state to not look any further
What are some arguments against empiricism?
Math and logic are reasons ability to connect ideas
Morality! Senses don’t tell us what is wrong or right. That is based on reason.
Language - children will begin to speak and use language in a way they are not explicitly taught.
