Ancient Philosophical Influences
Plato's Cave
An analogy brought forward by philosopher Plato
The story presents prisoners, chained in a cave underground so that they can't move - they have been this way since birth,
All they can see is shadows that are projected on a wall in front of them by a fire.
If a prisoner was released to the outside world, they would discover that this is the real world, unlike the cave.
If the prisoner returned to share their findings the other prisoners would mock the escapee, or even threaten to kill him
Each part of the analogy reflects an aspect of the real world
The main conclusions to be drawn are;
What is real?
How can we gain 'real' knowledge?
Who should rule/ be in power?
What is good?
AO2
It isn't clear why philosophers should rule if this is just a shadow world.
Although Plato may be right about not relying solely on our senses, we do still need our senses, and the information they provide, in order to survive.
There is no proof of the 'other realm'
Guilty of elitism - philosophers aren't different to normal people
Plato's Forms
Forms are perfect, ideal concepts of that exist in 'reality'
Particulars are imperfect 'copies' of its form
We see these everyday
'The Form of the good' is the most important, greatest form
All the forms have 'goodness' in common'
Arguments for/against the Forms
One over many
The 'sameness' between different versions of the same type of objects
Ideal standard
The forms give us things to measure against
Third finger argument
Absurdity
No empirical proof
Third man argument - where do we stop?
Forms of extinct animals and new inventions
Aristotle's 4 Causes
Aristotle disagrees with Plato
Wants to explain change in this world
Material cause
The Prime Mover
Causes explain movement/change in the world
Prime Mover explains the movement/change of the whole world
Prime Mover = first mover
If there is no first mover, then 'cause and effect' will go on forever, backwards
Must be Unmoved
Otherwise, something has to have moved it
AO2: David Hume - why could there not be an infinite regression?
PM is unchanging
Immutable
Eternal - doesn't come into or pass out of existence
Perfect
Impassive - no emotions, doesn't have knowledge of the world, doesn't interact with the world
AO2:
++ Avoids problem of evil
-- If the Prime mover does exist, where does physical matter originate from?
Formal
Efficient
Final
Non - physical (as physical things change)
-- Religiously unsatisfying - no desire to worship or pray to
Rationalism vs Empiricism
Plato = rationalist
Aristotle = empiricist
A Priori
A posteriori
Our senses can deceive us
pencil in water
However, we do need senses to survive
The thing/substance that something is made from
what is it that makes the thing what it is?
what brought it about/what made it
The purpose or reason of the thing
Assessing Aristotle on causation
There is an element of common sense behind it
Most objects conform to this idea
The focus on purpose helps us to determine whether or not something is useful.
The claim that everything has a purpose is subjective
An object's purpose may depend on our opinion and the way the object works for us
Existentialists argue that human beings don't have a specific purpose.
Instead, 'purpose' is for us to choose freely
It is purely a matter of choice, as our existence is also a matter of chance
The Form of The Good VS The Prime Mover
neither are involved with the world
both beings are perfect and necessary
They are eternal
To some extent they are both responsible for the existence of things in the world
The Prime mover has consciousness; the Form of The Good does not
The Prime mover thinks about thought and its own nature, whereas the Good is just an idea
They have both been influential to the Christian idea of God
They are explanations
Characteristics;
Immutable
Eternal
Non-physical
Perfect
Known by intellect or reason
One single thing (as opposed to particulars being many things)