Plato and Aristotle Flashcards
Rationalism
The use of logic as the primary source of knowledge
Empiricism
The use of observation/evidence as the primary source of knowledge
Plato
Rationalist
Theory of forms
Aristotle
Empiricist
First to document the world around him
Theory of Forms
The forms are the ultimate ideals
What we experience in the real world are pale imitations of the forms - appearances
We cannot trust our senses as they show us appearances, not forms
We need to learn to look past the appearances
There is a realm of forms, which we experienced before life, which is why we recognise things for what they are
The Highest Form
The form of good
This is the source of other forms
Cave analogy
The prisoners in the cave are everyday people
The puppets are the forms
The shadows are appearances
The man who escaped is a philosopher
The sun is the form of good
Criticisms of the Forms
Aristotle - no empirical evidence
Dawkins - the forms may be ideas passed on by people, Dawkins’ “memes”
Some forms are logistically unclear - is there a form of animal, and also a form of a horse?
Infinite regress of forms - Plato needs a form of a form to explain forms - this could be countered by saying the forms are already perfect
Are there mundane forms - what is the perfect bus ticket?
The idea of “the form of good” is at odds with modern meta-ethics - ie AJ Ayer would argue there is no objective “good” - REBUTTAL: Bentham: objective goodness is promoting pleasure and avoiding harm
Four causes
Aristotle
Material - what it’s made of
Efficient - what brought it into being
Formal - the shape it takes
Final - its telos
Strength: can be applied to the natural world
Potentiality/actuality
Potentiality: the natural ability to do something or become something
Actuality: the fulfillment of potentiality
Aristotle argued all natural motion was movement from potentiality to actuality
Premises of the Prime Mover
Aristotle observed that:
the natural universe is constantly in a state of change/motion - particularly celestial bodies
Change or motion has a cause
Objects are either in a state of actuality or potentiality
The Prime Mover
Aristotle concluded from observing motion in the natural world that there must be an unmoved mover that is the cause of all things; it is the final cause of the universe
It is actuality itself
Attributes of the Prime Mover
It must be good as is it actuality itself
It does not change, hence it needs no improvement
It must be immaterial, since material things are subject to change
As it is immaterial, it can only do spiritual or intellectual activities
Strengths of the Prime Mover
Matches the Big Bang almost exactly - could be the singularity that exploded?
Provides an explanation for motion in nature
Weaknesses of the Prime Mover
Not an explanation for the abrahamic God - PM’s qualities are so different
The relationship between the universe and the PM is unclear
Does the universe need a final cause? - Bertrand Russell
“Isn’t it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?” - Douglas Adams
