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)