Plato and Aristotle

Question 1

A-priori

Answer 1

Relating to what can be known through an understanding of how certain things work rather than by observation

Question 2

Theory of forms

Answer 2

• we live in world of appearances
• the real world is the world of forms
• all things that exist in the world of appearances conform to the ideas of the world of forms
• soul is immortal so connected to the world of forms, therefore we can recognise concepts such as beauty and kindness

Question 3

Hierarchy of the forms

Answer 3

• Good is the most important form

- Once you understand good you understand all other aspects

Question 4

Analogy of the cave

Answer 4

• prisoners thinks of shadows as reality because that is all they see (world of appearances)
• prisoner is freed and sees real world (world of forms)
• tells other prisoners but dont believe him as they are so dumbfounded on empiricism

Question 5

Aristotle’s four causes

Answer 5

Material- what it is made of?
Efficient- how it was made?
Formal- what gave it its form or structure?
Final- what is its purpose

Question 6

prime mover

Answer 6

• physical world constantly in a state of motion.
• objects in the physical world were in a state of actuality and potentiality
• something must cause the motion without being moved that its internal- nothing comes from nothing- must be an ultimate cause, the prime mover (God)

Question 7

Bryan Magee

Answer 7

theory of forms encourages people to be enlightened rather than being caught up with the material world

Question 8

problem of evil argument

Fredrick Schleimacher

Answer 8

• theory of forms highlights reason for evil in world- as it is not the truly perfected world that we live in
• logical contradiction in a perfect creation that could go wrong

Question 9

Hume

Answer 9

impossible to prove anything without empirical evidence or experience

Question 10

Stephen Evans

Answer 10

Plato offers a rational argument for the existence of another reality, gives hope for a perfect existence within the world of forms

Question 11

Aj Ayer

Answer 11

no way to verify language within morality- Plato has no verification to argue that good is a greater form then others

Question 12

survival

Answer 12

plato critiques senses, yet humans have survived purely on sense for thousands of years.

Question 13

Betrand Russel

Answer 13

universe just a brute fact, no prime mover