Ancient Philosophical Influences

Who was Plato?

Greek philosopher (427–347 BCE), student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle. Founded the Academy in Athens.

What is Plato's Theory of Forms?

Reality consists of two realms: the changing physical world and the eternal, perfect Forms.

What are Forms?

Perfect, immutable, non-physical essences that particular things imitate or participate in.

Why did Plato think the physical world is unreliable?

Because it is constantly changing and known through the senses, which can deceive us.

How are Forms known?

Through reason and intellectual understanding rather than the senses.

What is the Form of the Good?

The highest Form which gives meaning and intelligibility to all other Forms.

What is Plato's analogy of the Sun?

Just as the sun makes sight possible, the Form of the Good makes knowledge possible.

What is Plato's analogy of the Divided Line?

A model showing levels of reality and knowledge: images, physical objects, mathematical reasoning, and Forms.

What is Plato's Allegory of the Cave?

A story where prisoners mistake shadows for reality until one escapes and discovers the true world.

What does the Cave represent?

Human ignorance and the journey from sensory experience to philosophical knowledge.

What is Plato's understanding of the soul?

The soul is immortal and belongs to the world of Forms.

What is anamnesis?

The theory that learning is recollection of knowledge possessed by the soul before birth.

Who was Aristotle?

Greek philosopher (384–322 BCE), student of Plato and founder of the Lyceum.

How did Aristotle criticise Plato's Forms?

He argued that Forms do not exist separately from physical objects.

What is Aristotle's theory of reality?

Reality consists of individual substances studied through observation and reason.

What is a substance?

An individual thing that exists independently, such as a person, tree, or animal.

What is Aristotle's theory of Form and Matter?

Everything is composed of matter (what it is made of) and form (its essence or structure).

What is the material cause?

What something is made from.

What is the formal cause?

The form, structure, or essence of a thing.

What is the efficient cause?

The agent or process that brings something about.

What is the final cause?

The purpose, goal, or function of a thing.

What are Aristotle's Four Causes?

Material, Formal, Efficient, and Final causes.

What is telos?

The purpose, end, or goal toward which something naturally develops.

What is potentiality?

The capacity something has to become something else.

What is actuality?

The fulfilled state achieved when potential is realised.

What is Aristotle's Prime Mover?

The ultimate cause of motion and change which itself remains unmoved.

Why does Aristotle believe a Prime Mover exists?

Because an infinite chain of movers cannot adequately explain motion.

How does the Prime Mover cause change?

As a final cause, attracting all things towards their fulfilment.

Where does Plato locate true reality?

In the transcendent world of Forms.

Where does Aristotle locate reality?

In individual substances within the physical world.

How is knowledge gained according to Plato?

Through rational insight into the Forms.

How is knowledge gained according to Aristotle?

Through observation, experience, and reason.

What is Plato's view of the senses?

The senses are unreliable and provide only opinion.

What is Aristotle's view of the senses?

Sense experience is the starting point for knowledge.

What is the main difference between Plato and Aristotle?

Plato believed Forms exist separately from objects; Aristotle believed form exists within objects.

What is one strength of Plato's Theory of Forms?

It explains universal concepts such as beauty and justice.

What is one weakness of Plato's Theory of Forms?

There is little evidence for a separate realm of Forms.

What is one strength of Aristotle's approach?

It is grounded in observation and empirical investigation.

What is one weakness of Aristotle's Four Causes?

Modern science often explains change without appealing to final causes.

What AO2 comparison is important for OCR?

Whether knowledge is best gained through reason alone (Plato) or observation plus reason (Aristotle).