Ancient greeks

Question 1

define rationalism

Answer 1

having knowledge pre experience (PRIORI)
gaining knowledge purely from logic
does not rely on sense experience

Question 2

define empiricism

Answer 2

Gaining knowledge from sense experience (POSTERIORI)
relies on senses
uses scientific evidence

Question 3

PROS of rationalism

Answer 3

does not rely on senses- senses can easily be fooled
= more reliable

relies on logic= makes more sense

Question 4

CONS of rationalism

Answer 4

can seem unrealistic to say we already have all knowledge in us- we know that we learn from our experiences

lacks scientific proof

Question 5

PROS of empiricism

Answer 5

uses science= more believable to us

makes sense we gain knowledge from our experiences

Question 6

CONS of empiricism

Answer 6

senses can be easily deceived- E.g a pencil is straight but in water it appears bent

Question 7

Plato’s allegory of the cave

Answer 7

3 prisoners stuck in a cave
fire behind them, people walk past making shadows on wall in front of them- that’s all they know in life

1 prisoner escapes and is blinded by the sun, sees the real world

Question 8

what do theses represent in the cave allegory:
- sun
- prisoners
- cave
- outside world
- shadows

Answer 8

sun is the form of the good- it illuminates all the other forms

prisoners are us
cave is the world we are in
outside world is the world of the forms

shadows are our senses being deceived

Question 9

what are Plato’s forms?

Answer 9

unchanging, perfect concepts- good, justice, truth, beauty etc..
exist in another world

Question 10

what are the particulars?

Answer 10

they are imperfect copies of the forms which exist in our world

Question 11

sunset example of form and particular of beauty

Answer 11

when we look at a beautiful sunset, we look at something which will soon fade- particular form of beauty
but in reality the form of beauty lasts forever, never changes

Question 12

what form is the highest?

Answer 12

good- it illuminates all the other forms
knowing the form of the good makes someone perfectly moral

Question 13

Realm of the forms

Answer 13

Plato believed there is another world out there which is perfect and eternal - world of the forms

Question 14

PROS of Plato’s forms

Answer 14

-gives hope of a better life
-gives hope of moral goodness
-doesn’t rely on senses- good as they can be fooled

Question 15

Criticisms of Plato’s forms

Answer 15

-good is subjective
-no scientific proof of another world out there
-having knowledge of the forms does not help us in this world
-history has never showed us a morally good person
- if all the forms are perfect, why is good more perfect than the rest?

Question 16

Example for good as subjective

Answer 16

in medicine, saving people is good
but in army, killing people is good
different versions of good

Question 17

evaluations of criticisms of Plato

Answer 17

• Just because history has never shown us a morally good person, doesn’t mean there are no morally good people
• knowledge of the form of the good can encourage people to do what is right

Question 18

NIETZSCHE on plato’s forms

Answer 18

said form of the good is a dangerous error
Philosophers invent ideas to gain power
HOWEVER we cannot assume Plato had bad intentions

Question 19

AJ AYER on Plato’s form of good

Answer 19

we have no real knowledge of good or bad, when we talk of good or bad we just express our own emotional reactions,
we cannot all share the same concept of ‘good’

Question 20

DAWKINS on Plato’s forms

Answer 20

thinks it’s nonsense to talk of another world
just because this world is changing, doesn’t mean there is an unchanging world out there

Question 21

Aristotle’s 4 causes

Answer 21

material- what something is made from

formal- the shape something takes

efficient- the action that gives it it’s shape

final- the objects end goal

Question 22

Table example for 4 causes

Answer 22

material- the wood that makes the table

formal- table shape

efficient- the carpenter that makes the table

final- end goal is for people to work on

Question 23

criticisms of 4 causes

Answer 23

highly rely on experience- senses can be deceived

don’t explain the complexity of natural phenomena

Question 24

SARTRE on Aristotle’s final cause

Answer 24

we don’t actually have a final goal/ telos, humans invent goals for themselves as they are afraid of not having a purpose.

Question 25

Aristotle’s prime mover

Answer 25

-an unchanging being which attracts everything
-does not think about anything but itself otherwise it would change
-is the final cause/ TELOS

Question 26

what made Aristotle think there is a prime mover?

Answer 26

he saw that a ball stopped moving, but planets never stop moving
he thought there must be something out there which makes them constantly moving= prime mover

Question 27

Criticisms of Aristotle’s prime mover

Answer 27

• uses rationalism- we cannot see or prove a prime mover, uses logic instead of sense experience
• no scientific proof
• we may not actually have a final cause- could just be an idea created by humans

Question 28

NEWTON on Aristotle’s prime mover

Answer 28

newton said that an object remains in motion unless a force acts on it- not constantly moving, planets move by gravitational forces, not a prime mover