Ancient philosophical influences

Question 1

Paragraph 1: Plato’s view of reality: The theory of forms

Answer 1

• Dualistic metaphysical view
• Divided reality: world of form (unchanging, perfect, eternal, non-physical) and world of particulars (changing, imperfect, empirical, physical)
• Everything in the would of particulars is an imperfect shadow of the world of forms
• Talk about the allegory of the cave
• Argued episteme (true knowledge) only gained through reason and not empirical
• Allegory of the cave
• Ultimate form of good (the Sun) – the form of good – bc everything has good in it – illuminates all forms
• The ultimate end to ltself – The aim of everything is goodness
  Critique: a.j Ayer – logical positivist – statements about non-empirical things one meaningless as they are unverifiable.

Question 2

Paragraph 2 : Evaluation of Plato

Answer 2

Influence on Christian theology (Augustine and the concept of a perfect God).
- Classical theistic idea of god – exists outside of time - immutable (unchanging) implies perfection – god createed everything out of nothing shows complete power and independence.
Strength of Rationalism: appeals to logic and objectivity over unreliable senses.
Supporters of rationalism: Rene Descartes: we see; smell, feel war in its sold form and call wax. If we melt the wax it becomes a completely different form yet we still call wax.
Thus the idea of wax cannot be obtained through experience but reason. The idea that physical reality is constantly changing resonates with scientific understanding.

• Only philosophers can escape the world of appearances using reason as they’re the leaders of society – opposed empiricism as et clouds judgment
  How de we gain knowledge through reason?
• Born with dim recollection
• Our soul experiences A un the WOF before being reincarnated – in the physical body our memory is dim – we don’t gain new knowledge of justice, beauty, truth but through reason of our souls recollection

Question 3

Paragraph 3: Aristotle’s critique and alternative: The empirical approach

Answer 3

Aristotle – Plato’s student – rejected theory of the forms Too speculative and disconnected from observable reality
- Reality is found within the physical world not a separate realm
- Everything that exists = combination of matter + form
- He argued that form is not in a separate realm but is part of the object itself - the “form” of a chair is its structure and purpose, not some perfect version existing elsewhere
- Proposed the four causes - material, formal, efficient and final – explanation for existence
- Final cause = telos/purpose of object

Question 4

Paragraph 4 – Evaluation: Strengths of Aristotle

Answer 4

Empirical approach aligns with scientific method—relevant to today.
Provides a clearer framework for understanding causation and purpose.
Prime Mover as a foundation for classical theism (Aquinas).
Supporters of empiricism: David Hume: under normal circumstances our senses don’t lie and the more we repeat something the better idea we have of it.

Question 5

Intro:

Answer 5

Heraclitus an ancient Greek Philosopher - thought that the world we experience is in a state of constant change which he called ‘flux
“A person never steps in the same river twice, since both the river and the person change. “- Heraclitus
Plato interpreted Heraclitus as presenting a challenge to the possibility of gaining knowledge. If everything we experience is constantly changing then we can’t have knowledge since as soon as we know something it has changed.