Aristotle

Question 1

Who is Aristotle?

Answer 1

Empiricist - uses experience to determine how we sense reality

Question 2

What does Aristotle claim?

Answer 2

Claimed that everything in the world is in a constant state of motion - to go from a cause to an effect it must change.
For something to reach its telos it needs to go through the 4 causes

Question 3

What are the 4 causes.

Answer 3

1) Material- what something is made of
2)Formal- Form or essence of something
3) Efficient- how something happens or the external factor of process
4) final- Actuality or telos being achieved

Question 4

Potentiality vs actuality

Answer 4

If the conditions are right then the potential becomes actuality when it achieves its purpose. State of Actuality then has the potential toi change- continous cycle of change and motion

Question 5

Qualities of a prime mover

Answer 5

-Does not move or have any desire to knowledge to move or change
- cannot be changed by anything itself
- it is necessary- cannot fail to exist - unchanged potential to change or improve but is pure actuality making it perfect
- For Aristotle GOD is the PRIME MOVER

Question 6

What is infinite regression

Answer 6

if infinite regression exists then that removes the need for any first cause or uncaused cause , prime mover, and opens up the possibility that the world just is … it doesn’t need a cause
HUME -BRUTE FACT

Question 7

empiricism makes more sense of relality.

Answer 7

1) no empirical evidence of the existence of another world outside of our senses so we should rely on our senses alone to find out more about reality
2)Empiricists say ‘there is nothing in the mind except what was first in the senses’ - we can use reason only after we have experienced and observed things in the world.
3) If there is one absolute form of the good - why do we disagree over right and wrong? is it better to rely on observations - we can observe whether something is good if it fulfils its final cause
4) Empiricism gives a better understanding of reality because we learn from experiences and from our senses.

Question 8

ARISTOTLE 1

Answer 8

‘There is nothing in the mind except what was first in the senses’
Everything caused by something else if the conditions are right- must go through the 4 causes
The world is changing in a state of motion - we can go from potentiality to actuality - must change from something to reach its telos.
using reason only after and observing things in the world.

Question 9

ARISTOTLE 2

Answer 9

Empiricism makes more sense of reality gives the opportunity to learn from past experiences and our own senses - without sin we would not make mistakes , making mistakes if how humans develop without humans would miss out on the chance to grow and develop as individuals.

Question 10

ARISTOTLE 3

Answer 10

Questions Plato’s form of the good - if there is one absolute form of the good - why do we disagree about ‘good’ is it better to rely on observations where we observe right/wrong
There cannot be a hierarchy of forms as we cannot define all forms to one action they are different and produce different results. Makes more sense to follow experience