Aristotle Flashcards
What is Aristotle’s understanding of reality?
Aristotle believes that we learn about reality through the observation of the physical world.
How is reality explained by Aristotle?
Aristotle explains reality through the 4 causes.
What are Aristotle 4 causes?
1) The material cause: this looks at what something is made from e.g. a chair is made from wood.
2) The formal cause: This looks at the shape/ key features e.g. the formal cause of a chain may be a round back and a round seat.
3) The efficient cause: This looks at the activity that causes something to happen e.g. the efficient cause of the carpenter caused him to turn wood into the chair
4) The final cause: this looks at something’s purpose and whether it fulfils it e.g. a chair is a good chair if it is stable and comfortable to sit on.
What is the analogy of the prime mover?
According to Aristotle, there must be a prime mover which accounts for everything that moves in the world.
1) The prime mover must be the first of all substances and depends on nothing for its existence.
Therefore it must be eternal.
2) The prime mover causes change/ motion in everything else by attraction- everything in the universe must be drawn towards its perfection.
Therefore it must be good.
3) The prime mover must be immaterial, not capable of being acted upon.
The prime mover must be the first cause, the efficient cause and the final cause.
What are the criticisms of Aristotle’s thought?
- lacks clarity
- other thinkers reject the view that the universe has telos. They argue that the universe exists without explanation or purpose.
+ highlights scientific investigation through observation
+ uses reason and sense experience to gain knowledge about the world
