Plato vs Aristotle A&P Flashcards
INTRO - define
Prime mover - the final cause
The form of the Good - An eternal realm, with this form enlightening all other forms
Section one: theme
Someone may criticise Plato’s rational a priori methods and favour Aristotle’s a posterior prime mover. Arguably makes more sense as it is something that is observable and explains change
Section one: AO1
4 CAUSES
Four Causes explain individual changes in the world; The Prime Mover is an explanation for the whole world itself (Final Cause). Aristotle’s God, indifferent to the universe yet the universe’s telos - attracts all parts of the universe to itself, thus inspiring change, and movement.
All things desire good/perfection (fulfilment of telos) and the process of change to perfection is in the direction of the PM. Attracting things towards it by sheer will/ consciousness e.g. Cat to milk, moth to light clear and observable, better than the intangible FOTG
Section one: AO2 FOR
4 CAUSES
It is difficult to believe in a God that is perfect if that being is liable to changing emotions. An impassive prime mover seems logical
A passive PM avoids the traditional problem of evil. There is no issue about evil and suffering in the world as the PM does not change and so cannot prevent evil
Section one: AO2 AGAINST
4 CAUSES
Tredennick: hypocritical criticised Plato for not having any empirical grounding when PM is theoretical and has no evidence
If the PM is pure thought but is on some way responsible for everything then where did all the matter come from
The idea of God who is not involved is unsatisfactory for religious believers. The PM is not worthy of worship not would there be any point to prayer. Although Aristotle sees the Prime Mover as being ultimately good, it is a static and logical goodness rather than the goodness one might experience in a relationship
Section 2: theme
Prime Mover is highly incoherent as Aristotle argues everything has a cause, yet then argues for an uncaused causer. One may claim the Form of the Good is more thoroughly explained via the cave analogy
Section 2: AO1
PLATO
FORMS: Plato, in believed there was a greater reality beyond the world we experience, accessible through a priori reasoning – the world of the forms. He explains in his book ‘The Republic’ everything in this world was in a process of change; the Forms, in contrast, are the permanent, eternal, immutable, intangible, perfect essences of objects (particulars) found in the World of Appearances. Forms compromise a dialectic process leading down from the form of the good moving from abstract concepts such as beauty and justice to things that Plato terms particulars e.g. the form of a dog
Form of the Good illuminates and gives value to the rest of the Forms.
Section 2: AO2 FOR
PLATO
The argument of recollection: people can recognize beauty in different things such as a sunset/flower. Although they are different our soul has previously witnessed the Form of Beauty before being incarnated in our body and can still recognize it
Brian Davies argues there must be true forms of abstract concepts, such as beauty or justice, as otherwise, we would never be able to debate and discuss them must be an ideal standard of good/ form of the good
Section 2: AO2 AGAINST
PLATO
Beauty and justice are subjective and it is in the eye of the beholder. Fluctuates from person to person
Karl Popper argues Plato was searching for permanence and perfection in a world of uncertainty, when really we must just accept the world the way it is - one may argue it is an inductive leap of logic to arrive at the Forms from a premise that there must be truth, which all things have in common form of the good lacks any evidence at all
Section: 3 theme
Yet ultimately it seems both concepts are flawed to an extent. However, the Platonic thesis and the Form of the Good, if understood in more of a metaphorical sense, offer greater chance to develop a strong epistemological footing.
Section 3: AO1
METAPHOR
Analogy of the Cave Analogy of the Cave and the Platonic thesis of the Forms urges us to question our beliefs in order to gain deeper epistemological positioning.
Section 3: AO2 FOR
METAPHOR
People claim that they are lovers of beauty but never question what beauty truly is. Plato’s forms engages us to question and find deeper meanings and truths about the world
That Misses the point the analogy of the cave could be used to illustrate how we are too concerned with materialistic concepts in the world instead of focussing on the natural beauty and truths. Especially valid in the 21st century with a consumerist culture. Urges us to question and connect
Section 3: AO2 AGAINST
METAPHOR
Idea of Forms is ridiculous: We can question reality and knowledge without having to postulate on a separate metaphysical world of perfection
-Mel Thompson, Plato seems to dismiss the beauty of our world, with the “dark and dingy cave hardly being a fitting representation” of our world.
