Ancient Philosophers (Plato & Aristotle)

• Who is considered a rationalist philosopher?

  Plato
• What does Plato believe about the reliability of our senses?

  They cannot be trusted as the world changes
• What does Plato mean by "the forms"?

  Philosophical concepts beyond physical reality
• What is at the top of Plato's hierarchy of forms?

  The form of the good
• According to Plato, what is the nature of knowledge?

  Knowledge is innate
• How do we perceive goodness according to Plato?

  Through particular examples that approximate goodness
• What does Plato consider true knowledge to be?

  Knowledge of goodness
• Who is considered an empiricist philosopher?

  Aristotle
• What is Aristotle's view on knowledge?

  Knowledge is perception
• According to Aristotle, what is the real world?

  The natural world
• What does Aristotle mean by potential and actualization?

  Everything is made from potential to actualization
• What are the four causes according to Aristotle?

  Material, formal, efficient, final causes
• What is the prime mover in Aristotle's philosophy?

  The cause of movement outside the universe and time
• How does Aristotle describe the prime mover's nature?

  It is eternal and immaterial
• What is Aristotle's objection to Plato's theory of forms?

  There is no single good and forms lack practical value
• What does Karl Popper assume about certainty?

  He assumes it exists elsewhere
• What does AJ Ayer suggest about the concept of 'good'?

  Having a name implies an actual existence
• Karl Popper

  because he can’t find certainty in this world, he assumes it elsewhere in the forms

  • wanting it doesn’t make it exist
• AJ Ayer

  because we have a name for ‘good’/‘beauty’, plato assumes there is an actual
• Aristotle

  empiricist, relies on evidence and observation for reasoning
• Plato

  rationalist, ideas based on reason rather than emotion or experience
• plato

  our senses cannot be trusted as the world is always changing, thus the physical world is misleading 
• plato

  knowledge is innate
• plato

  true knowledge is knowledge of goodness
• plato‘s form of the good

  • because things are subject to change, they are imperfect
  • the form of the good has all things perfect
  • there must be a realm with ultimate goodness, the form of the good
  • the form of the good is the top hierarchy because all other forms participate in the form of the good
  • the form of the good allows other forms to be good
• Aristotle objects Plato

  • no single good
  • forms not studied so can’t be important
  • no practical value
  • theoretical knowledge