aristotle

Question 1

what are the four causes

Answer 1

1. material
2. efficient
3. formal
4. final

Question 2

how is aristotle different to plato

Answer 2

it emphasizes the value of studying the physical world - his approach is empirical. he rejects plato’s theory of the forms as the relationship between the forms and objects in the material world was never explained

Question 3

1st cause

Answer 3

the material cause - refers to what the substance is made of. the materials represent the impermanence of this world as materials can warp and react.

Question 4

what do the causes explain

Answer 4

why a thing exists as it does

Question 5

2nd cause

Answer 5

the efficient cause - the cause of an object existing. eg a book exists because someone wrote it. a fallen tree exists because a gust of wind knocked it down. can have multiple efficient causes.

Question 6

3rd cause

Answer 6

the formal cause - what gives the matter its form and structure. eg table wood is cut and arranged in a particular way. what are its characteristics.

Question 7

4th cause

Answer 7

the final cause - why something is the way it is, in functional terms. this is teleological (to do with the function of an object or the reason an action is done). the purpose behind the object and the reason it exists at all.w

Question 8

what was the final cause for humans according to aristotle

Answer 8

the telos of a human being was to be rational and moral

Question 9

the prime mover explain

Answer 9

everything in life is changing and everything that exists is in a permanent state of movement or motion. = there must be something in existence whihc causes the motion without being moved and is eternal == PRIME MOVER outside the universe.
everything must have a final cause/purpose, so there must be an ultimate cause. the prime mover is the final cause.
the prime mover is fully actualised as to be not would mean there is room for improvement so something that is eternal cannot be changing to improve
in metaphysics, aristotle likens the prime mover to god.

Question 10

aristotle’s book

Answer 10

metaphysics

Question 11

plato’s book

Answer 11

the republic.

Question 12

what does the prime mover exist to do

Answer 12

be a leader
be in the order of the universe

Question 13

strengths of aristotle x3

Answer 13

1. provides clear reason why motion and change happen. everything in the physical world is drawn to the prime mover through a desire to reach our telos
   2.supported by clear empirical evidence. the 4 causes are observed from all things in the universe.
2. scholars argue the main strength is he uses an a posteriori approach whereas plato uses a priori but how can we not trust our senses when they are responsible for our being and survival
3. supported by ockham’s razor

Question 14

weaknesses of aristotle

Answer 14

1. plato and descartes argue that senses are unreliable as they can deceive us eg how in dreams, we are convinced everything is real. rationalists would argue for an a priori approach
2. no clear evidence there is a final cause for everything. some philosophers claim the universe has no purpose. we experience change but this does not prove there is a being causing it
3. Russell and Hume would argue that the universe is just a brute fact. whereas, aristotle is trying to argue there is a purpose behind the world as a whole
4. modern physics suggests that the universe has a definite beginning eg the big bang theory as the definite starting point rather than existing as an eternal/continuous state. aristotle make an assumption that matter is eternal.
5. he says the prime mover is ‘seperate to sensible things’ - but if this is true how can we know about it from knowledge that comes from experience? he ends up appealing to something outside the universe which is no better than plato’s ideal forms.(counter that with its not a god who you have a relationship with, this has been able to be observed hes only saying theres an entity.)

Question 15

plato summarised

Answer 15

1. utopian, idealistic and otherworldly - hope?
2. this is a priori - gaining understanding thorugh logical reasoning. built from model of maths, knowledge independent of experience (all can do maths)
3. two worlds a real and material world. real world is the world of forms where our souls belong. the material world is a world of shadows and copies of original forms.
4. we need the form of the good to gain true understanding of reality.
5. true knowledge comes from recollections of the true forms in the real world. our soul is what connects us to this world

Question 16

what is ockham’s razor

Answer 16

aristotle is an early version
a scientific and philosophical belief that entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily - it favours the simplest explanations. aristotle’s one-worldly theory is much simpler which renders it more likely to be true.

Question 17

nagel on dualism

Answer 17

modern philosopher, the purpose of the universe cannot be explained - there doesnt have to be something behind it all.

Question 18

dawkins on aristotle

Answer 18

he says in the blind watchmaker that things only have the appearance of a goal/telos, there is no innate purpose and this is only our interpretation of blind processes.

Question 19

jean paul sartre on dualism

Answer 19

‘existence precedes essence’ we do not have any other purpose than the one we choose for ourselves. there is no single purpose for every human eg to reproduce/god.

Question 20

bertrand russel on aristotle

Answer 20

the world ‘just is’ and that is all - there is no unmoved mover behind the change, its just a fluke.

Question 21

prime mover comparison

Answer 21

like a cat being attracted to a bowl of milk - though the bowl of milk doesnt move, or exert any influence over the cats movement, the cat is simply attracted to the milk, just like we are attracted to the prime mover.

Question 22

aristotle’s empirical fancy name for method

Answer 22

‘per genus et per differentia’ meaning ‘by type and by difference’

Question 23

why was aristotle more convincing than plato

Answer 23

plato’s rejection of reasoning based on empirical knowledge, his focus on epistemology and universal concepts distract from the quest of understanding true reality around us as he merely states the reason for the imperfect and changing world around us is because it is not the true, real world. aristotle’s teleological reasoning gatheref from sense experience of the world offers a more convincing understanding of why things exist, interact and change.

Question 24

francis bacon critical of the fianl cause

Answer 24

telos/purpose shouldnt be part of empirical science because purpose is a matter of divinity. modern science takes this further by arguing we dont need a purpose at all (dawkins)

Question 25

mcgrath support of aristotle

Answer 25

science cant answer the why but only the what. so we dont know the telos and science can never answer this so you shouldnt be so quick to dismiss aristotle

Question 26

dawkins reply to mcgrath

Answer 26

refutes it by saying you can ask why you have a purpose but this gets you
jsut because you can ask a question doesnt mean there is a legitimate answer
eg you can ask the colour of jealousy

Question 27

response to sartre’s purpose (by nobody)

Answer 27

genetic fallacy - he is assuming the way in which aristotle came up with the theory (assuming we have a prupose to begin) - he counters by saying this is valid but doesnt prove we dont have a purpose

Question 28

newton criticism of the prime mover

Answer 28

aristotle is arguing motion eg of the stars is due to the natural attraction to the prime mover
newton rebuts that an object only moves because equal and opposite reactions.