Plato and Aristotle AO1 Flashcards
1
Q
Plato’s views
A
believed empirical knowledge cannot be accepted as fact; it does not show reality
2
Q
a priori
A
relating to what can be known through an understanding of how certain things work rather than by observation
3
Q
Theory of forms
A
- World we live in is a world of appearances, but the real world is world of forms
- forms are the idea of what a thing is like, the idea of a cat
- All things that exist conform to the idea of the world of forms
- Concepts such as beauty truth and justice are only the shadows and images of the forms, soul is immortal so connected to world of forms, that’s how we can recognise these forms to a greater extent
4
Q
Hierarchy of the forms
A
- Plato believed some forms were greater than others; universal qualities like justice, truth and beauty. Superior as they have the presence of good in them, good is the most important form
- once you can understand good then you can understand all other forms.
5
Q
Analogy of the cave
A
- Prisoners facing the wall of a cave watching shadows on wall from the fire
- prisoners think the shadows are reality as that is all they can see
- one prisoner is freed and sees the read world (world of forms) and goes back to tell the others yet they don’t believe him as they are dumbfounded by empiricism
6
Q
Aristotle views
A
Emphasises the physical world and experience as the basis of knowledge
7
Q
The four causes
A
Turned to the world around him to reason why anything exists at all, identifies 4 causes to explain why a thing or object exist as they do
- Material cause- what it is made of?
- Efficient cause- How it was made?
- Formal cause- what gives it its form or structure?
- Final cause- what is its purpose?
8
Q
Prime mover
A
- physical world is constantly in a state of motion and change
- the planets seem to be moving eternally
- change or motion is always caused by something
- must be a prime mover who is not moved himself who causes this movement, can’t be caused himself or that is infinite regression
9
Q
Nature of prime mover
A
- asking cause of prime mover causes infinite regression. Has to be eternal and really exist
- Things are attracted to the prime mover although it doesn’t move
- a prime mover can’t think of anything other than itself as nothing else is perfect
- totally outside time and place
10
Q
a posteriori
A
relating to or denoting reasoning or knowledge which proceeds from observations or experiences to the deduction of probable causes.
