Aristotle

Question 1

The four causes

Answer 1

1. Material cause.
2. Formal cause.
   3, Efficient cause.
3. Final cause.

Question 1

Purpose is unscientific

Answer 1

1. Francis Bacon criticised Aristotle and said that final cause has no place in empirical science.
2. However, McGrath has pointed out that science limited and cannot answer all questions such as why questions about purpose.
3. However, Dawkins responds saying why is not a valid question in the same way you wouldn’t ask ‘what is the colour of jealousy?’

Question 2

Christians and prime mover

Answer 2

Prime mover is unpersuasive for Christians as it differs greatly from the traditional view. They see God as caring and immanent but the Prime Mover must only think of himself and can only be transcendent.
This is persuasive as makes the purpose of prayer questioned if we can’t have a relationship with God.

Question 3

Sartre telos

Answer 3

1. Sartre believes that there is not a telos or purpose because ‘existence precedes essence’ meaning human exists before they have a defined purpose so they make their own purpose.
2. However, Sartre doesn’t provide a metaphysical ground for rejecting telos and so commits a genetic fallacy.
3. However, this is an unsuccessful criticism of Sartre as it misunderstands his own argument.

Question 4

Newton

Answer 4

1. Newton challenged Aristotle’s belief that an object which is moved will simply stop moving by itself.
2. However, whilst Aristotle wasn’t truly scientific in the modern sense he believed in empirical observation which led to the epistemological method which would lead to modern scientific methods and the fuller picture of reality we have today.

Question 4

Genetic Fallacy

Answer 4

Assuming that the way in which someone comes up with a theory is relevant as to whether it is true or false. Just because people have a psychological need to believe in objective purpose, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.