Aristotle (chapter 3 in book) Flashcards
who was aristotle?
384 - 322 bc
empiricist - favoured experimentation over knowledge (a posteriori), did not believe in metaphysical world
“metaphysics”
what did aristotle use to explain the world around him?
whereas plat believed in an ultimate reality existing beyond this world, accessible only through a priori reasoning aristotle instead used an empirical method and that one can only understand by using a robust approach
what are aristotle’s four causes ?
material = what the object is made of
formal = qualities of the object, its shape etc
efficient = means or agency by which the object came into existence
final = the purpose of the object, reason for being
what is aristotle’s quote about how he understands the world around him?
“per genus et per differentia”
what does aristotle mean by state of motion?
everything is in a state of motion, things need to change to fulfil their telos (purpose), change allows an object to go from potentiality to actuality
what does aristotle mean by potentiality and actuality?
if something can change it exists in one “actual” state and has the “potential” to become another e.g. embryo to child
what does aristotle mean by cause and effect?
the world is in a state of cause and effect: to go from cause (material, formal and efficient) to an effect (telos)
what is the difference between four causes and prime mover?
four causes explains individual changes to the world whereas the prime mover is an explanation for the whole world
what does aristotle mean by prime mover?`
the final cause is God, indifferent to the universe yet the universe’s telos - attracts all parts of the universe to itself
all things are attracted to the prime mover as they have the desire of fulfilling their telos
everything in the world is changing except the prime mover which is immutable
DO NOT CONFUSE WITH AQUINAS’ PRIME MOVER
what are the qualities of the prime mover?
eternal
perfect, does not have to change to actuality it’s already there
immaterial, all material things change
transcendent, only aware of itself, cannot experience emotion
what are the notable aristotle vs plato differences
knowledge vs experience, aristotle believed in empiricism and thought we could only know about things in our senses, plato didn’t trust empirical evidence as this change so cannot be perfect
causality vs world of forms, aristotle believed the essence of something was in it’s form on earth, its four causes, plato believed the essence of something is obtained by discovering its world of the forms.
ESSAY - PLATO RATIONALISM VS ARISTOTLE EMPIRICISM
what are the 3 points?
P1 – METHOD: EMPIRICAL VS RATIONAL (FORMS V 4 CAUSES)
P2 – KNOWLEDGE: PRACTICAL VS THEORETICAL
P3 – PLATONIC THESIS HOLDS GREATER VALUE
ESSAY - PLATO RATIONALISM VS ARISTOTLE EMPIRICISM
1st point FORMS + BRIAN DAVIES
P1 – METHOD: EMPIRICAL VS RATIONAL (FORMS V 4 CAUSES)
- 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
- The Platonic thesis can be understood through the analogy of the cave – the prisoners trapped in the cave, watching shadows on the wall, are representative of those who merely rely on the senses and are only subject to a false perception of reality (a mind-set which Plato called “eikasia”, translated as image/ likeness).
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; anyone could argue what justice was, depending on how well they argued it, “justice is whatever is in the interest of the stronger?”
ESSAY - PLATO RATIONALISM VS ARISTOTLE EMPIRICISM
1st point - COUNTER - KARL POPPER
CA: IDEALISTIC, LACKS EVIDENCE
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
ESSAY - PLATO RATIONALISM VS ARISTOTLE EMPIRICISM
1st point - COUNTER RESPONSE REASON + CHANGE
R: FOUR CAUSES, PRIME MOVER
Whereas Plato believed an ultimate reality existed beyond this world, accessible only through reason, Aristotle used the empirical method in order to explain the world around him – one can come to a closer understanding of the matter of things through a process of reflective categorisation, per genus et per differentia (through type and difference) via analysis of the FOUR CAUSES: example of the bronze statue (material cause is bronze, formal cause is its shape, efficient is the means it came about e.g. statue maker, and it final cause it its telos e.g. honouring the Gods) empirical method is clear and observable!
CHANGE: Believed everything was in a state of flux – things change from potentiality to actuality (e.g. a log into a bench) via the four causes, as a result of being inspired by the Prime Mover
