Aristotle

Question 1

List (NOT EXPLAIN) four causes

Answer 1

Material Cause, Formal Cause, Efficient Cause, Final Cause

Question 2

What is the Material Cause?

Answer 2

Material cause is what the object is made from e.g statue made from marble

Question 3

What is the the Formal Cause?

Answer 3

Formal cause is what gives the statue form or structure e.g. statue is in the shape of a human to resemble human

Question 4

What is the the Efficient Cause?

Answer 4

The cause of the object e.g what created it or caused it to exist. E.g. efficient cause of statue is the sculptor.

Question 5

What is the the Final Cause?

Answer 5

Why the object was created - Teleological (purpose) why it exists. E.g. statue exists as beauty to show off wealth etc.

Question 6

What are differences between Plato and Aristotle?

Answer 6

• Aristotle emphasises study of physical world = empirical approach not concerned with forms.
• Aristotle rejected theory of forms (Link between forms and real life)
• Rejects dualist view and plato’s understanding of the soul

Question 7

What is potentiality and actuality?

Answer 7

Everything exists in an actual state(How it is) and has potential to become something else.
E.g. cow has potential to become roast beef.

Question 8

What is the primer mover?

Answer 8

Aristotle believed that everything was eternally moving/changing but for him this means that there must be an eternal cause e.g the primer mover the first cause which essentially knocked the dominoes.

Question 9

What are the characteristics of the primer mover

Answer 9

It is pure actuality by nature

• Lack of goodness means there is room to change but if its in actual state there is no room for change and therefore is supremely good
• Primer mover is ultimate reason and final goal of movement.

Question 10

How did Aristotle link the primer mover to God, what did he believe it was and what place does it have in the universe?

Answer 10

Links primer mover to God - God is a leader in the order of the universe. He rejected ideas that God is ‘asleep or dead’ . His God is impersonal, eternal and transcendent. Believed God cannot think as otherwise he would not be actual.

Question 11

What are criticisms of his theory?

Answer 11

• Primer Mover: Relationship between primer mover and universe is unclear. God is transcendent and cant interact with world so says all religion is wrong essentially.
• Relationship between primer mover thinking and the universe is unclear.
• Final cause or purpose is disputed by many. Say universe exists due to science (proven)