Aristotle Flashcards
Whilst Plato was a rationalist, Aristotle was an…
Empiricist
What are the Four Causes?
Material
Efficient
Formal
Final
What is the material cause of an object?
What it is created out of e.g. bronze
What is the efficient cause of an object?
By which it is created e.g. sculptor
What is the formal cause of an object?
The expression of what it is/design e.g. idea of a finished statue
What is the final cause of an object?
For which the thing exists/its purpose or function e.g. the idea that prompted a sculptor to make the statue
What are the most important causes to Aristotle and why?
The formal and final causes because they explain what a thing is
What is the final cause to Aristotle?
It is internal to the nature of the object itself
What word best describes Aristotle’s theroy?
Teleological argument
What is actuality?
The mode of being in which a thing can bring other things about or be brought about by them, the realm of events and facts.
What is potentiality?
The power to effect change, the capacity of a think to make transitions into different states.
What does matter turning into form correlate with?
Potentiality turning into actuality
How does Aristotle’s belief contrast with Plato’s that change is not good?
Movement from a state of potentiality to a state of actuality is a good thing
For Aristotle, good is defined in terms of the final cause or the purpose of a thing
How does Aristotle use an acorn to explain all substances are in a state of flux?
An acorn (potentially an oak tree) exists before the oak tree it grows into but it itself is the product of an existing oak tree
What must there be for something to move from its potential to its actual?
Something already actual
How does Aristotle’s Prime Mover Argument go? (x3)
1) All motion is the result of movement from potentiality to actuality
2) Since the universe is involved in motion and since nothing moves that is not impelled to move by a form (actuality), the universe must have a supreme Form (Actuality)
3) Since the form (actuality) can never be in its potential state (and matter by definition is in its potential state) the highest Form is immaterial and without motion: the Unmoved Mover/ Prime Mover
What is the Prime Mover’s only activity?
Thought- eternally contemplating its own being
How does nature move from potential to actual?
As it desires to imitate God/Prime Mover’s actuality
Aristotle called this “desire” or “love”
How can humans bring themselves into communion with the divine?
Only man can appreciate the truth and so only man can share in God’s nature by virtue of his intelligence (nous)
Since man’s intellect is divine, by cultivating it brings himself into communion with the Prime Mover
Which philosopher illustrates how the Prime Mover can actually move things without moving itself? Explain this
Fr Gerry Hughes
A cat and a bowl of milk…
The milk does nothing but its presence is sufficient to cause the cat to move towards it
The Prime Mover is like a stationary magnet drawing all things towards their potentiality
What are the 3 aims of the Function Argument?
1) Show that Good for humans is fulfilling out function well
2) Show humans have a distinct function
3) Say precisely what this function is
How does Aristotle claim Good for humans is fulfilling our function?
There is a link between instrumental goodness of a human with an overall good for a human
A sculptors goodness is determined by their performance o sculpting
Therefore our goodness as humans is determined by whether we fulfil our function well
Why could it be said humans have a distinct functions?
People have jobs which are their functions
Parts the human body have functions so humans as a whole must
What are humans’ distinct functions?
Aristotle argues our reason (logos) distinguishes us from plants and animals: our function is to reason
Our souls make us human and our function is determined by the make up of our soul
Soul is the “blueprint” for humans
Function is determined by the kind of soul we have: humans have a rational soul and our function is to exercise the rational parts of our soul
