Plato & Aristotle: ancient philosophical influences

Question 1

introduction - Heraclitus

Answer 1

• Heraclitus thought that the world we experience is in a state of constant change which he called ‘flux’.
• thus how can we gain true and certain knowledge if everything changes?
• Aristotle thinks that we can understand the causal mechanism responsible for change and thereby gain true knowledge from experience

Question 2

Plato

Answer 2

• Like Heraclities, he believed that everythng in the world changes
• therefore there must be a world where things are unchanging (logic of opposite) = this is called the World of Forms
• also a dualist (mind + body are separate)

Question 3

The Allerogy of the Cave

Found in the book REPUBLIC (380bc)

Answer 3

• shows experience involves mere shadows of reality, thus cannot give us knowledge
• Only a priori reasoning involving understanding of the forms can give us knowledge.

Above the slaves, is a fire that casts shadow of certain figures and objects. A prisoner then escapes and is blinded by the form of the good (the sun) & sees the real world. Then he goes back to his fellow prisoners to tell them but they didnt understand becuse the material world blinds people..

Question 4

Aristoltes rejection to plato’s thought

Answer 4

• Plato’s theory lacks empirical validity. Aristotle thought that Plato’s theory of forms was an unnecessary hypothesis = because it has no explanatory power regarding our experience
• This is an early version of Ockham’s razor
• scientists better criticise this and claim that the physical world is the only reality there is. Dawkins states that ‘its nonsense to talk of a trascendent ‘other world’ beyond the physical.

Question 5

Plato Demiurge

Answer 5

• he believed that the world was created by a demiurge = greek word for a workman

Question 6

ARISTOLE understanding of reality

Answer 6

• rejected rationalism
• an empirisit: knowlegde is gain through our senses
• one of his observation of the worlds was that everything has a purpose (TELOS) = to know things properly we need to understand its purpose.(its essence)

Question 7

aristoles 4 causes

Answer 7

Aristotle believe the physical world is always changing, imperfect and transient (not eternal).

It moves in a state of potentiality to actuality

Reality can be explained in four different ways: four causes

1. material - what the item is made of (E.G. a bronze statue is made out of bronze)
2. formal - the distinguishing characteristic of the item
3. efficient cause: Who/what made the particular arrangement
4. final cause - the telos/the reason or purpose behind it.

Question 8

aristole prime mover

Answer 8

• For Aristotle the world is in a constant motion of change.
• This PM was God. The Prime Mover is in a state of pure actuality- it has no potential for change itself.
• Mover is the FINAL cause.
• The Prime Mover is perfect and all things want to imitate this perfection.
• This attraction to perfection provides a PURPOSE for change.
• Therefore the Prime Mover is the FINAL cause.
• this unchanging, eternal nature is convinving

Question 9

evaluation on the prime mover

Answer 9

• To argue the universe must have a purpose is wrong. It just exists by chance. what is that purpose?
• Dawkins- “The universe we observe has no design, no purpose…”
• Hume also made this point as part of his criticisms of the cosmological argument.

Question 10

How does plato rationalism compare with Aristotles empircism?

Answer 10

• Plato’s rationalist approach meant that he relied on logical truths, which he claimed all humans obtained from another realm.
• Aristotle, approached the world with and empirical viewpoint, based his theories on the physical world around him.