philosphy

philosophy definition

the study of general and fundamental questions sbout existence, knowledge, values, reasons, mind and language

platos’ allegory of the cave

• prisoners are locked up in a cave facing a wall with a fire behind them

• they can only see the shadows on the wall

• on of them escapes and sees the outside world which is true reality

• he tries to get the others to come with him but they refuse as they believe they live in true reality

what does the cave allegory represent

how people have distorted notions of the world and dont have the incentive to compare them against the real world. So many people live in an illusionary world of unquestioned assumptions and they believe that their notions of the world are reality

what does the cave represent

the world of appearances and believing that is reality

what do the shadows represent

the false illusions the prisoners believe is truth

what does the sun represent

ultimate truth and understanding

what does the return to the cave represent

reflects Plato's view of the philosophers role in society and the public's resistance to the truth

empiricism

gaining knowledge through observations. Like a scientist doing an experiment

rationalism

gaining knowledge through thought. Like how a mathematician thinks of an answer to a problem

plato and the world of the forms

• he believed that everything on earth corresponds to an ideal form as there is no perfect being i n the physical world

• the form cant change coz its a concept and not a physical object

• the archetype is everlasting and therefore different reality

• all we see are shadows and images of forms

• this is one reason why he believed observing the truth was flawed as everything is changing all the time

• there is evidence for this as all humans recognise beuty truth and justice without being taught

• he said there was a hierarchy of forms and the most important one was the form of the goodwhich illuminates others

• Eg. justice, honour and kindness

what did plato beleive

that the world is full of illusions and appearances and that we are like prisoners in a cave looking at shadows. He came up with the world of the forms where the ideal version of everything is. He thought it was wrong to observe the truth as the world is always changing. He was a rationalist

what did aristotle beleive about why things exists

he thought there were 4 causes

• material cause

• formal cause

• efficient cause

• final cause

the material cause

the matter or substance something is made out of. eg, a table is made out of tree

the formal cause

what gives the thing its form or structure. eg, the formal cause of a table is the table shape

the efficient cause

why the thing exists. eg, the efficient cause of the table is a carpenter

the final cause

the function or purpose of the thing. eg, the final cause of a table is to eat dinner off of

occam’s razor

the obvious or common explanation something has is often the true explanation. eg, if you have a headache its more likely dehydration than a brain tumour