PLATO AND ARISTOTLE TOPIC: BACKGROUND
1.
ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHY INFLUENCE RELIGION . ALEXANDER
THE GREAT SPREAD GREEK CULTURE .
2.
ALEXANDER TUTOR WAS A RISTOTLE. ARISTOTLE ’S BOOKS WERE
TRANSLATED IN THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD AND INFLUENCED A QUINAS.
3.
SOCRATES – GREEK PHILOSOPHER – GOT PEOPLE TO QUESTION
LIVES. A PRIEST SAID S OCRATES WAS THE WISEST MAN IN A THENS BECAUSE
HE KNEW HE KNEW NOTHING. PUT ON TRIAL. SENTENCED TO DEATH OR
MOVE FROM A THENS. S OCRATES DECIDED TO DRINK HEMLOCK OR POISON.
4.
PLATO CALLED HIM A “GADFLY” – SMALL INSECT THAT IRRITATED
BIG HORSES . S OCRATES IRRITATED PEOPLE BY QUESTIONING . W AS PRESENT
AT SOCRATES’ TRIAL. W ANTED TO TELL S OCRATES’ LIFE STORY .
PAST PAPER QUESTIONS
EXPLAIN THE ANALOGY OF THE CAVE IN PLATO’S REPUBLIC . [25] ‘THE
ANALOGY OF THE CAVE TELLS US NOTHING ABOUT REALITY .’ DISCUSS. [10]
EXPLAIN THE PLATONIC CONCEPT OF ‘FORMS’. TO WHAT EXTENT IS IT TRUE TO
SAY THAT THE FORMS TEACH US NOTHING ABOUT THE PHYSICAL WORLD ? (10)
EXPLAIN THE CONCEPT OF ‘IDEALS’ IN PLATO’S WRITINGS. [25] IDEALS ARE AN
ILLUSION; WE CAN ONLY EXPERIENCE WHAT IS REAL .’ DISCUSS. [10]
EXPLAIN ARISTOTLE ’S UNDERSTANDING OF THE FOUR CAUSES. [25]
ARISTOTLE ’S FOUR CAUSES FAIL AS A DESCRIPTION OF THE REAL WORLD.
DISCUSS. [10]
COMPARE THE CONCEPT OF A PRIME MOVER WITH THE IDEA OF GOD AS
CRAFTSMAN . [25] ‘ONLY PHILOSOPHERS CAN EXPLAIN CREATION.’ DISCUSS.
[10]
EXPLAIN WHAT ARISTOTLE MEANT BY FINAL CAUSE . [25] TO WHAT EXTENT
DOES THE CONCEPT OF A FINAL CAUSE TEACH US ANYTHING ABOUT THE REAL
WORLD? [10]
PLATO
1.
WHITEHEAD SAID THAT “ALL PHILOSOPHY IS A SERIES OF FOOTNOTES TO
PLATO”.
2.
PHYSICAL WORLD ALWAYS CHANGING . NO ONE STEPS INTO SAME RIVER
TWICE . WORLD CHANGING . WE CAN ONLY HAVE OPINIONS ABOUT THIS EVER -CHANGING
WORLD .
3.
BUT THERE WERE ETERNAL REALITIES - FIXED - WE COULD HAVE KNOWLEDGE
OF . IDEALS OR FORMS . THINGS IN THIS WORLD ARE IMITATIONS THAT PARTICIPATE IN
THESE .
4.
OUR REASON CONNECTS US TO FORMS AS OUR SOUL (WHICH USED TO EXIST
THERE ) WAKES UP
5.
WE ARE BORN WITH INNATE KNOWLEDGE OF FORMS EG JUSTICE / LOVE /
GOODNESS
6.
SOMETIMES PLATO THOUGHT F ORM FOR EVERYTHING IN WORLD. FORM OF
GOOD AT TOP .
7.
PLATO BELIEVED WORLD CREATED BY DEMIURGE (FROM GREEK FOR
CRAFTSMAN )
8.
CRITICS – EVIDENCE FOR FORMS? ALL IN THE MIND? DELUSIONAL? FORM OF
GOOD – GOODNESS SUBJECTIVE . A PHYSICAL PLACE ?
ARISTOTLE
1.
JOINED PLATO ’S A CADEMY AT 17. BELIEVED KNOWLEDGE HAD TO START WITH
OBSERVATION OF WORLD
2.
FORMS INTEGRAL TO THINGS THEMSELVES – MATTER AND FORM NOT SEPRATE
– FORM INTEGRAL TO THING
3.
CAUSATION 4 CAUSES – MEFF – MATERIAL (MADE OF ) / EFFICIENT (PROCESS
OF MAKING ) / FORMAL ( CHARACTERISTICS ) / FINAL ( PURPOSE )
4.
WONDERED ABOUT UNIVERSE AS A WHOLE . EFFICIENT CAUSE THAT MADE ALL
CHANGE AND MOTION THAT WAS PRIME/UNMOVED M OVER OR G OD. C AUSES
WITHOUT BEING CAUSED / CHANGED . C AUSES MOVEMENT WITH LOVE ( THINGS
ATTRACTED TO IT ). G OD ACTUALITY NOT POTENTIALITY PRIME M OVER NOT MOVED BY
ANYTHING . G OD ETERNAL AND CHANGELESS . OUTSIDE SPACE / TIME
CRITICISMS – PRIME MOVER NOT GOD / IS THERE FINAL CAUSE / MORE THAN ONE
PRIME MOVER / N EWTON SAID THINGS CAN MOVE ON THEMSELVES