Ancient Philosophical Influences

• Plato's theory of the forms asserts that reality is beyond empirical perception and true knowledge is discovered via rationalism.

  Our senses only allow us to perceive shadows or imitations of true forms which he calls particulars, found in the realm of appearances.

  Reality is the immutable world of forms, where everything is an ideal.
• The highest form is the form of the good, followed by justice, beauty and equals, then abstract ideas ie bed, tree, horse. The form of the good illuminates the other forms and allows us to understand them.

  Our soul contains innate knowledge of the forms, which helps us recognise particulars. The process of the soul recalling this knowledge is called amnemesis.
• Aristotle criticised Plato's theory of forms using the third man argument.

  It was first noted by Plato in the Parmenides dialogue.

  Plato said for something so be large, it must partake in the form of largeness. But, we have no way to identify the form of largeness as large, unless it partakes in a better form of largeness, and so on.

  Aristotle argues that if all men partake in the form of a man, then the form of a man must be identifiable by partaking in a better form of a man, and so on.

  So, forms do not provide ultimate explanation.
• Aristotle rejected Plato's conception of what good was. Plato believed something was good if it partook in the form of Good. Aristotle believed that something was good if it achieved its telos.
• Material cause - what something is made of

  Efficient cause - what brings something into being

  Formal cause - the characteristics which make something itself

  Final cause - the telos of the thing
• Aristotle believed the universe was eternal and geocentric, with the sun, moon and planets orbiting the earth in a series of co-centric circles. Like the continuous motus of these orbiting the Earth, he thought all things exhibited continuous motus, changing to and from actuality to potentiality. The movement is a result of things being drawn to their telos.
• Aristotle thought the reason for change was the Prime Mover - his concept of God. The prime mover exists in a perfect state of actuality, and has no potential for change. It is the final cause of everything, as it attracts everything to its perfection.
• Aristotle thought the reason for change was the Prime Mover - his concept of God. The prime mover exists in a perfect state of actuality, and has no potential for change. It is the final cause of everything, as it attracts everything to its perfection.
• Rene Descartes argued that the essence of ourselves is found in the mind. The senses do not prove we exist, but the fact we are thinking does - 'cognito, ergo sum.' There is no need for empirical research, only rational thought and reflection.
• John Locke was an empiricist. He believed that our mind is a blank slate ('tabula rasa') when we are born ideas are acquired via research, and the mind is able to compare, examine and combine knowledge.

  'No man's knowledge can go beyond his experience'