A-level philosophy: Ancient Greek thinkers

Plato and Aristotle's views on realm of forms, prime mover and analogy of the cave

what did the cave shadows represent in the analogy?

the chained individuals in a dark cave see only shadows on the wall, symbolising the limited and deceptive nature of sensory perception

what is the theory of the forms ?

an idea that the physical world is a shadow and an imperfect reflection of an ultimate perfect reality that exists beyond the material.

what did Plato believe about forms?

he believed that the forms is the 'real' world where abstract, universal concepts or ideas represent the true reality behind the physical appearances that we see.

the forms exist outside of time and space and are eternal and unchanging.

how can the realm of forms be perceived?

the realm of forms is accessible only through the intellectual mind and not through sensory experience

what type of thinker was Plato?

he was a rationalist thinker, meaning his arguments rely on pure reason

what is the analogy of the cave?

the analogy of the cave is a symbolic representation of the existence of two worlds or experiences. human beings can experience life differently based on their level for consciousness and awareness of the world around them.

what is the overall lesson of the analogy of the cave?

the analogy can be seen as a way of teaching and enlightening others to seek higher truth rather than to settle for what they see in front of them as reality and truth and a way of explaining limits in reality when we use our senses.

what did the cave shadows represent in the analogy?

chained individuals in the dark cave see only shadows on the wall, symbolising the limited and deceptive nature of sensory deception

what did the sunlight represent in the analogy?

the sunlight outside represents the world of forms, conveying the idea of an ultimate reality and truth beyond the illusions of the physical world

what did the chains represent in the analogy?

the chains binding the prisoners signify ignorance keeping them unaware of the deeper truths that exist beyond their sensory perception

what did the escape of the prisoners represent in the analogy?

the freed prisoners journey from the cave to the outside world mirrors the intellectual journey of seeking knowledge and enlightenment

what did the returned prisoners represent in the analogy?

the returned prisoners' struggle to enlighten others in the cave illustrates the challenges faced by those introducing higher truths, emphasising the resistance to change and accept new perspective

what is a priori knowledge?

knowledge and understanding based on pure reason and nothing else

what is empirical knowledge?

an argument that can be proven through the pre-existing measurable knowledge or experience (things we can physically sense)

what is dualistic thinking?

a term that describes a person who believes that there is more to existence than merely the physical

what are the strengths of the analogy of the cave?

makes logical sense

stands to reason that we cannot understand all things through the senses

our senses can mislead us cannot rely on them for answers all the time

our senses vary from one person to another

what are the weaknesses of the cave analogy?

our sensory knowledge is usually accurate and is useful and important, we find at least some elements of truth in our senses. Our senses are a lifesaver

no evidence of another realm or plane of existence

what are the strengths of the realm of forms?

there is some evidence in the sense that we can attribute aspects of existence to key forms

what are the weaknesses of the realm of forms?

some people such as Richard Dawkins argues that it makes no sense to talk of another world beyond this physical one because there is no actual knowledge of it

there is no evidence to support the existence of the realm of forms

the physical world is worth studying empirically even if the knowledge we gain from sense experience is not completely certain

what is beauty?

beauty is a very subjective thing, what one person might see as beauty is different from another person's idea of beauty

what is a form?

forms are things in reality that exist as universal truths

what is the form of the good?

an immaterial object that exists more perfectly than anything else, the goodness and rationality in the world

criticisms of the form of good?

the idea of goodness can be perceived differently to different people- so what really is good?

what type of thinker was Aristotle?

he was an empiricist and believed that the truth can be found by studying an object and answering key questions about it

wha are Aristotles 4 causes?

1) Material cause- what is it made of?

2) Formal causes- what are its characteristics?

3) Efficient cause- who or what made it

4) final cause- what is it for? what is its purpose?

what is a prime mover?

the first of all substances, main source

what does an unmoved mover mean in Aristotle's ideas?

the proposed existence of a 'Prime mover' or 'unmoved mover'. this entity is not caused or influenced by anything else, it is self-sufficient and eternal.

what does eternal and immaterial mean in Aristotle's ideas?

the 'Prime mover' exits outside of the physical world and is eternal and immaterial. it is not subject to change or decay in contrast to ever-changing nature of the material world

what does cause and motion mean in Aristotle's ideas?

the 'Prime mover' serves as the ultimate cause of all motion in the universe, it impacts motion in other things without being directly involved in the process

what does final cause mean in Aristotle's ideas?

the 'Prime mover' acts as the final cause, it is the ultimate goal or purpose

what is a strength of the idea of a prime mover?

the argument is a logical system that illustrates the truth

what are weaknesses of the idea of a prime mover?

what caused the unmoved mover( prime mover)

can all things have a purpose? Richard Dawkins thinks not

there is no evidence of a prime mover, relies on reason like plato