ARISTOTLE Flashcards
how did aristotle believe we gain knowledge
empirically
what is aristotle’s method known as
per genus et per differentia - through type and difference
what is the main thing that characterises our world
change
what does everything move from to
potentiality to actuality
what is telos
everything has a purpose or goal even if it is not a conscious fact
what does aristotle believe instead of argument of recollection
that we are taught things through observation and reflection
an example of a discovery made by aristotle that could not have been discovered through platos rationalist method
the eclipse of the moon, what might cause the effect? the shadow was that of earth and spherical object and so earth must be spherical
what are the four causes
material, formal, efficient, final
what is the material cause
what is it made of? eg woods, bricks, nails
what is the formal cause
what are the characteristics? appearance? eg the carpenters drawing
what is the efficient cause
how does it happen? eg its maker or builder (does not have to be human eg chemical reaction) (can have more than one)
what is the final cause
what is its overall purpose? eg a table, a house or a church, very important!
how does an object become good
if it fulfils its intended purpose
without the matter something is made from, there would be…
nothing
what examples of material cause does aristotle give
bronze of statue, silver of bowl
what is the difference between plato and aristotle’s forms
plato - transcendent
aristotle - immanent
examples of the purpose of a final cause
listening to music to relax, making a cake to be eaten, painting to be hung
how did aristotle reach his conclusion of the prime mover
if everything in the universe has a purpose, it would then follow by analogy with his assumption that if every part of the human person has a purpose, then the person as a whole has a purpose that: the universe has a purpose - a final cause
quote for the prime mover
‘the series must start with something, since nothing can come from nothing’
qualities of the prime mover
necessary, exists in and of itself, infinite, immutable, remote, impassive, not a creator
what is the prime mover responsible for
change and causation
how does the pm effect change
through ‘attraction’ rather than action, kitten and milk analogy
how does it make sense that the pm is pure actuality and no potentiality
pm is pure actuality and everything is moving to actuality so attracted
how is aristotles god different from the abrahamic god
uninvolved! petitionary prayer is redundant also not a creator but pulls
what does aristotle also refer to the pm as
unmoved mover
how is form of good similar to pm and different to christian god
neither is directly or personally concerned with the world, and neither created it
FoG and PM dif or sim in relation to consciousness
different! pm supremely conscious but mental activity concerned with meditation of its own wonderful nature. fog not explicitly told if so or not?
FoG and PM dif or sim in relation to necessary existence
both exist necessarily and are perfect
FoG and PM dif or sim in christian influence
sim - both influence ideas on god and heaven
what element of aristotles theory was important for development of science
per genus et per differentia
plato criticism of mathmatical truth
aristotle champions empiricism as the route to knowledge however there are things that are true whether or not we observe/understand them eg 2+2=4 will always be the same no matter how many times you test it
problem of science criticism - evolution
darwin’s theory of natural selection rules out idea of final cause or purposeful design. the world may give the appearance of being purposeful but is actually though natural selection/random chance that things have happened.
problem of science criticism - cosmology/physics
disputes idea universe exists as result of pm creating change through attraction - georges lamaitre and big bang theory
existentialism criticism
no essence or purpose to human life that predates individual life spans, jean paul sartre: no innate purpose to human being, we have to create meaning in our own life
what is the fallacy of composition
criticises assumption that what may be true of the parts may not be necessarily true of the whole
proponents of fallacy of composition
hume and russell
who proposed the fallacy of misplaced concreteness
a.n. whitehead
what is the fallacy of misplaced concreteness
aristotle puts in place a system whereby everything is about change, motion, cause, potentiality etc with one exception. the PM is an illogical leap founded on an assumption which doesn’t fit with the other things he claims it explains. why should we accept that pure thought of PM should result in material outcomes.
