People & Society - Block 1

What is the essence? (definition)

The thing that makes something one thing and not another

Components of essence

principles

elements

causes

act and potency

substance and accident

What is the key aspect of human beings?

rationality

What is the being itself?

everything that does, has and will exist

How do we know something is true?

It can be evidenced, verifiable and operational

Scientific Method

evidence, testimony, operation

3 forms of reality

physical, metaphysical, rational

Logic

What mankind thinks

Ethics

What should mankind do

History

Where has mankind been

Principles

The beginning of something
propositions or judgements that are universal, necessary, true and evident

Non contradictory principle

That idea that something cannot be two things at once

Elements

Things that make up something else

Cause

The origin of something

4 different types of causes

Causes of the being itself, or causes of the act

Intrinsic causes

material, formal

Extrinsic causes

efficient, final

Final cause

most important cause

what is something for

Formal cause

What is it, eg characteristics

Efficient cause

Who made it or how was it made
natural or artificial

Material cause

What something is made of

Metaphysical beings do not have a material cause

Causes of the act

remote vs proximal

necessary vs contingent

Substance

The thing that doesn’t change

Accident

entities that belong on other beings

eg the colour red

Potency

The power to achieve something that has not yet been achieved

Act

The completion of potency

Movement

transition from potency to actuality

Types of movement

growth

place

change

rationality

3 types of souls

Rational, sensitive, vegetative/nutriative

Nutriative/vegetative soul

can grow and change eg plants

Sensitive souls

Can grow, change and move eg animals

Rational souls

Can grow, change, move and have rationality eg humans

The 9 accidents

quantity, quality, relation, place, time, position, possession, action, passion

Truth

the adequation of intellect to reality

Only exists in humans (because we have rationality)

Theoretical truth

intellect adequates to reality

Practical truth

Reality adequates to intellect