Aristotle Flashcards
Describe actuality
The motion of an object realising it’s potentiality
What did Aristotle believe true knowledge was?
Things we perceive in the natural world
Define potentiality
The ability to acquire a form proper to the telos of an object
Define the material cause
The matter of an object
Define the formal cause
The characteristics of an object
Define the efficient cause
The means by which an object comes into existence
Define the final cause
The purpose (telos) of an object
What does it mean to be in a pure form?
Devoid of matter, when it is impossible to change. Only God has form without matter
What does the Prime Mover do?
Causes motion within the universe whilst being motionless itself
What influence did the Prime Mover have on the Christian Church?
It formed the basis for the Christian God
Who was Aristotle’s mentor?
Plato
What were Aristotle’s views on the soul?
It has a different nature according to the living thing it is in
Describe Aristotle’s hierarchy of souls
- Plants - Have a vegetative type of soul with the power to grow
- Animals - Souls have the capacity for appetite and so have desires and feelings
- Humans - Soul has the power of reason, gives people the ability to develop intellects and ethical characters
What was Aristotle’s view on the relationship between the soul and the body?
They are not distinct but are aspects of the same thing
What did Aristotle say about an educated mind?
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
