Aristotles form and causes

Question 1

Aristotle

Answer 1

• ‘master of those who know’- Dante
• Disagreed with Plato on many topics
• Believed we achieve knowledge by looking at the evidence and calculating outcomes
• Plato’s pupil- never lost respect for him even when disagreed
• Did not know Socrates so not affected by his death or felt the need to justify it like Plato
• Not an Athenian so viewed the democracy as an outsider

belived in cause and effect

• per genus et per differntia - wants to learn and discover from all
• a posterioir knowledge

Question 2

whats the formal cause

Answer 2

Formal: the form of something defined by its shape- if it was not that shape it would not be that form

Question 3

whats the material cause

Answer 3

Material: the material of something- without the materials it is made from it would not exist

Question 4

what is the efficient cause

Answer 4

Efficient: what brings something into existence- its maker

Question 5

whats the final cause

Answer 5

Final: the purpose for the thing to exist- without a purpose it is nothing

Question 6

what are the strengths of the argument

Answer 6

• Knowledge depends upon observation and experience of the material world- supported by modern empiricists like Hume, Locke and Berkeley
• Four causes gives several reasons for somethings existence- means science and religion can now be looked at together for the reasons of existence not as opposing ideas
• Aristotle’s ideas have influenced many theories eg the work of Thomas Aquinas

Question 7

whats the weakness of argument

Answer 7

• There is no concrete evidence for the forms- Descartes takes a sceptical view on the reliability of the senses and argues for an a priori approach to knowledge
• The universe is entirely random- ‘I would say that the universe is just there and that’s all.’- Bertrand Russel
• An ‘unmoving mover’ is impossible- Christians find it hard to accept as it says God can be affected by humans’ power through prayer.

Question 8

what does Aristotle believe about universe

Answer 8

cannot be caused
as he uses sense data to make judgements and he cannot use this to prove who/ why universe was caused

belives
potentia + motus = actus

acorn has potential to be a tree but has no intelligence so must be moved

everything in planet has to be moved to exist

Question 9

what is aristole

Answer 9

soft dualist
belives in body and soul being 1 thing - not 2 separate things like plato

believes when we die so does our body/soul but plato believes we go to the form of the good

Question 10

whats a form for aristotle

Answer 10

form determine objects properties
without telos things loose purpos and become pointless
this theory is hylomorphism

Question 11

explain aristotles final cause

Answer 11

• the 4 causes which seek to explain the multiple goals/reasons for somethings existence
• the final purpose of something and the reason for its existence
• aristotle believe that all nature has purpose
• body has a purpose (lungs,heart,cells…)
• would be unreasonable to think each part of the body has a purpose but that the body as a whole doesn’t
• for aristotle the final cause in nature is the PM. gods relationship with the world is the final cause (this is not like the christian idea where god has a personal relationship )