Foundation for Philosophy of Religion Topic Test: TOTAL = 70
PLEASE HAND IN YOUR MARKS NEXT TUESDAY…….
A. Plato
1. List four things you know about Plato (4)
Rationalist / student of Socrates / teacher of Aristotle / lived 428 –
347BCE / ancient Greek philosopher / Athenian family / all philosophy is
‘footnotes to Plato’ (Whitehead) / Famous work ‘The Republic’ / founded
Academy in Athens, first European university / used the method of dialogue
2. Sketch and label the key parts of Plato’s Cave (6)
Shadows, Prisoners, Cave, Outside World, The Sun, The escaped prisoner
3. In a sentence describe what is represented by;
a) Shadows (1)
False, illusory experience of things which we think to be real. Analogous with our
experiences i.e., sense perception (empiricism).
b) Prisoners (1)
Us. Trapped, ignorant of the truth. Trapped in our world but also in our bodies
c) Cave (1)
Realm of shadows. False world. Analogous with ours.
d) Outside World (1)
Realm of the forms. Where truth can be found through wisdom and reasoning.
e) The Sun (1)
Form of the Good. The supreme form. Perfect. Christians compare with God.
f) The escaped prisoner (1)
‘The Philosopher King’ (Socrates). One who has escaped the cave though reason,
wisdom and experiences Forms. Unable to communicate these ideas to others.
4. What were Plato’s two distinct realms? (2)
Realm of the Shadows - changeable / Realm of the Ideal Forms - fixed
5. How do we know each of the two realms? (2)
Shadows – sense experience (empiricism); Forms – knowledge (rationalism)
6. What does Plato mean by a ‘Form’? (4)
Perfect / Unchanging / Eternal / Real / Object of knowledge, truth / Beyond
experience / Abstract / Essence i.e., ‘catness’…..
7. What is Plato’s ‘ideal Form’? (1)
Form of the Good (shown as the Sun in his Cave analogy)
8. Outline one strength of the Theory of Forms (1)
Explains how we recognise similar things even if we have not seen a particular
object before (Innate knowledge of the soul) / Does seem to be a conflict
between our mind and body.
9. Outline one weakness of the Theory of Forms (1)
Cannot present obvious proof of realm of Forms / Are there infinite forms
for all things? / What of things not yet invented? / Seems to be a
complicated explanation (Ockhams Razor)
10. Suggest how Plato’s theory been adopted by religion? (3)
Christianity – there is a separate reality beyond our world; Sun / Good = God;
Realm of ideal Forms = Heaven; Escaped prisoners = people finding God;
Philosopher King = Jesus; concept of a soul that resided with the Forms.
11. What did Socrates imply about the ‘self’ on his deathbed? (1)
That the soul would go on after the death of the body and that he identified
himself with his soul, not his body.
12. What word is used to refer to the belief in a distinct mind and body? (1)
Dualism (Plato & Descartes held this view)
13. What word is used to refer to the belief that all things are explicable in
terms of matter? (1)
Materialism
14. Describe OR sketch and label the nature of the three parts of Plato’s soul
(3)
Charioteer (SOUL, reason), two horses – black (BODY, desire) and white
(MIND, courage / will)
15. Explain why there is a conflict between these parts (2)
Body is draw by sense desires and distracts the mind from higher pursuits
and holds reason and the soul back which tries to lead the two to know the
forms.
16. What is Katharsis / Catharsis? (1)
Act of purification, focussing the mind on higher things, detaching from
sense desires. Often through denying the body what it desires (food,
comfort)
17. How does Plato’s concept of the soul fit into his Cave analogy and the
concept of Forms? (2)
The soul is imprisoned, trapped in an unsatisfactory imperfect world.
Soul once lived in realm of Forms so has knowledge of them, strives to
return. Soul is the form of us.
18. In a sentence how are Plato and Aristotle different in their approach? (1)
Plato is a dualist and believes truth is discovered through reason (rationalist)
Aristotle believes knowledge can be found in this world through experience.
19. How does the artist Raphael symbolise the difference between them? (1)
Plato gestures upwards with his hand to point to knowledge discoverable
elsewhere. Aristotle gestures towards the ground indicating knowledge can
be found in this world. Both hold copies of their key works.
B. Aristotle
1. What does Aristotle mean by ‘Form’? (1)
The characteristics something has that allow us to recognise it. Form is tied to
the object itself, not separate. Our souls are our forms but do not continue
after our bodies.
2. List 5 possible qualities / functions that would be part of Aristotle’s soul (5)
In ‘de Anima’ body is Material, soul is Form. Functions; sensation, movement,
respiration, reproduction, communication, reasoning….ANY FUNCTION OF A
LIVING THING (not our traditional view of the soul which is much more like
Plato’s and influenced by the Christian concept).
3. What quality makes human souls different to plant and animal? (3)
Ability to reason, not just move, reproduce etc… We are of a higher order.
Plants have basic vegetative souls (nutrition, growth, reproduction).
Animals more advanced with the powers of the plant soul but also desires and
feeling.
Human soul has all the above but also power to reason and be ethical.
4. Outline one of the illustrative examples he gives to explain the soul (1)
Axe – body / material / matter = wood…; Form / soul = ability to chop
Eye – Form / soul = ability to see. Remove this it is no longer an eye other than in
name, no more real than an eye in a painting or statue.
5. In a short paragraph explain the differences between Plato and Aristotle’s
concept of the soul. (5)
Plato
Aristotle
Soul can survive after death of body
Soul and body cannot separate
Soul and body two distinct entities
Soul dies with the body
Soul is our Ideal Form
Soul is the Formal Cause
Soul once dwelt with the Forms and
BOTH AGREE THAT REASON
seeks to return. Remembers to Forms.
IS A KEY FEATURE OF THE
Is immortal.
HUMAN SOUL.
6. Copy and complete this table (10);
Type of cause
Description of cause
MATERIAL
What something is made of.
EFFICIENT
What made it.
FORMAL
Something’s characteristics.
FINAL
The purpose of something
Example of cause
Bronze
Sculptor
Recognisable as a statue
To provide pleasure, art
7. Which Cause has been adopted by Christians and how? (2)
The Final Cause or Prime Mover – corresponds to God, the ultimate purpose of all
things. God is the cause of motion and brings it about by the power of thought /
love (as God himself is an Unmoved Mover).