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a level philosophy > Greeks > Flashcards

Greeks Flashcards

1
Q

key messages of the story of the cave

A
  • this world is not real but the world of the forms is
  • the knowledge that we gain is through the mind
  • only philosophers have this knowledge so they should rule
  • philosophers are the ones who know what is good
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2
Q

Weaknesses of the story of the cave

A
  • it is not clear why philosophers must rule if this is the shadow world
  • information we get through our senses help use to survive (can’t reject empiricism)
  • plato doesn’t give proof or how they relate
  • guilty of elitism, philosophers are people
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3
Q

Key understanding of forms and particulars

A
  • idea that we recognise but can’t easily define do exist - they are invisible and intangible but are known to the mind
  • each from is one single thing with many particulars
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4
Q

Aristotle four causes

A

Material, formal, efficient, final

  • key knowledge come from empiricism
  • it illustrates that the world is real
  • the world and everything in it has a purpose
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5
Q

Key features of the prime mover

A
  • immutable
  • eternal
  • perfect
  • impassive
  • non-physical and immaterial
  • it is the cause of change and draws everything to itself
  • can only think of itself
  • the final cause
  • pure actuality
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6
Q

Attributes of both the prime mover and God

A
  • good
  • eternal
  • first cause
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7
Q

Aristotle supports of empiricism

A
  • a posteriori is more useful for knowledge of the world around us
  • we could not have thought of most things without the senses
  • senses can deceive us
  • it is hard to understand how we get ideas
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8
Q

Form of the good vs prime mover

A
  • BOTH: eternal, immutable, necessary, outside the universe, perfect, transcendent
  • PRIME MOVER: final cause, pure actuality, no potential, impersonal
  • FORM OF THE GOOD: illuminates the mind, participates in all the forms, highest form, good
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9
Q

Hierarchy of the forms

A

1) form of the good
2) form of beauty, justice, truth, equality
3) abstract ideas
4) mathematical reasoning and science
- ———————————————————
5) material objects and opinions based on senses

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10
Q

strengths of rationalism

A
  • more to the world than meets the eye
  • a priori knowledge
  • we have a sense of justice or beauty that seems to be innate, we ‘just know’
  • reason makes more sense of reality and what we experience
  • senses deceive us so we have different opinions about what is good because reason is not being used well
  • we cannot rely on senses and observation to gain knowledge as they deceive us - reason is more reliable
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11
Q

weaknesses of rationalism

A
  • how can we know without the sense
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12
Q

strengths of empiricism

A
  • knowledge gained a posteriori
  • need senses for learning + surviving
  • there is no evidence of the existence of another world outside of the senses
  • we can use reason only after we have experienced and observed things in the world
  • we disagree on right and wrong when we use reason, it is better to use observation
  • learning is more than than just remembering eg there is more to the salve boy than just remembering, he was sent through the steps
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13
Q

weaknesses of empiricism

A

Sense can decieve us

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14
Q

strengths of the prime mover

A
  • impassive prime mover seems more logical than God
  • prime mover avoids problem of evil
  • we can see natural things seem to have telos and are drawn towards an end goal or purpose eg acorn
  • prime mover helps to explain the movement and change
  • explains why there is perpetual motion - the planets move in predictable rotations
  • it gives a final reason why as it is the final cause
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15
Q

Aristotle - causation

A
  • most objects conform to four causes
  • four causes focus on purpose + meaning, we cam determine if something is good or not
  • the claim that everything has a purpose is subjective (eg purpose of life is a matter of choice)
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16
Q

strengths of Plato

A
  • We can recognise things that are similar even if we can’t explain exactly what it is
  • without forms we can’t explain sameness
  • ideal standards: absolute unchanging moral rules, form of good gives an absolute idea of goodness
  • use of rationalism - is there more than meets the eye, how do we know?, can’t trust our senses
  • analogy of the cave is universal and timeless
  • philosopher kings - do they make the best leaders because they use reason?
  • we can see things in the world of appearances change an die
  • form of beauty and justice are concepts that don’t change
17
Q

weaknesses of Plato

A
  • Wittgenstein - rejects ‘one over many’, there is just a series of overlapping characteristics
  • the third man argument - there is nothing to stop asking what the form and particulars have in common and need a third to explain
  • problems with new inventions and extinctions
  • evolution means explaining what objects have in common
  • does not use empirical evidence
  • if there is one form of the good why do we disagree over right and wrong
  • analogy of the cave is a weak method of reasoning
  • philosopher kings - he is guilty of elitism, practical skills are more important than using reason
  • using reason is hard
  • change can be seen as better than immutability
18
Q

Plato’s support of rationalism

A
  • a priori knowledge gives certainty (only in logic and maths)
  • number of things that are hard to know without expereince
19
Q

Attributes of God (to compare to prime mover)

A
  • all powerful
  • all knowing
  • interacts with and loves the world
20
Q

strengths of Aristotle

A
  • you can see the four causes today
  • the final cause gives things a sense of purpose
  • it is based on empiricism which can be tested
  • material cause is obvious - all things must be made of physical matter so this is a useful basis for our knowledge
  • efficient cause explains the process of change
  • formal cause helps us to understand what gives something its shape and characteristics
  • final cause helps to explain why everything has a purpose
  • if an object fulfils its purpose then it is good - good is intrinsic to the object itself
  • empirical theory is applicable to life and scientific enquiry
21
Q

weaknesses of Aristotle

A
  • some things has no purpose
  • even if parts have a purpose the whole may not (fallacy of composition)
  • having a purpose is a mental process
  • existentialism - things just are
  • cannot din the four causes in everything eg beauty
  • Aristotle moves away from empiricism when he suggests the prime mover
  • our senses can deceive use
  • there is more to life than sense experience
  • HUME: cause and effect could be correlation
  • goodness does not necessarily have to link to purpose
22
Q

weaknesses of the prime mover

A
  • difficult to understand something as perfect with no knowledge of the world
  • not involved in the world and not worthy of worship
  • if its responsible for everything where did matter come from
  • purpose is a human construct so we give things purpose - there is no external purpose so there is no need for a final cause
  • you have to move to rationalism to understand the prime mover it is no longer an empirical concept
23
Q

strengths of the story of the cave

A
  • shows that our senses do deceive us - what we sense is only the partial reality
  • senses can trap us, we can be closed minded and not want to consider other views or ways of thinking
  • relying on reason is like becoming a philosopher
24
Q

Aristotle’s prime mover is more successful that Plato’s form of the Good

A
  • prime mover explains the reason why there is change in the world, because everything is being drawn to its perfection
  • Aristotle is based on sense experience
  • Plato does not clearly explain how the form of the good participates in objects or concepts in the world of appearances but the prime mover gives a clear explanation
25
Q

Plato’s form of the good is more successful than Aristotle’s prime mover

A
  • form of the good explains change in the world of appearances - things here decay but participate in the perfect
  • prime mover can’t be observed with the sense, the form of the good is not part of the material world - important to use reason for truth
  • form of the good explains how we recognise goodness in lots of different things
    (- Aristotle’s prime mover moves to rationalism so is criticised in the same way the the form of the good is)

a level philosophy (16 decks)

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