Critically compare Plato’s Form of the Good and Aristotle’s Prime Mover

What is Plato’s Form of the Good?

The highest Form and source of all truth, goodness and reality

What is Aristotle’s Prime Mover?

The unmoved mover that acts as the final cause of all motion

How does Aristotle explain order in the univers?

Through the Prime Mover moving all things towards it as their final cause

How does Plato explain order in the universe?

Through the Form of Good, which grounds all other Forms

Which scholar’s empirical approach supports Aristotle?

Richard Dawkins

How would Dawkins criticise the Form of the Good?

It is an unobservable metaphysical speculation

What strength does Plato’s theory have despite this criticism?

Reminds us that sense experience can be misleading and reason is necessary

Why is Plato’s Form of the Good stronger regarding abstract concepts?

It explains objective truths such as beauty, justice and goodness

What is Aristotle’s concept of telos?

The idea that everything has a natural prupose

How does the acorn example support Aristotle’s concept of telos?

The acorn naturally develops into an oak tree, suggesting purpose in nature

Why is Aristotle’s theory considered more inclusive?

Knowledge is available through observation rather than restricted to philosophers

Which existentialist challenges Aristotle’s teleology?

Sartre (Existence precedes essence)

How does Sartre challenge Aristotle?

Humans create their own purpose rather than possessing a fixed telos

How does Nietzsche challenge Aristotle?

He rejects objective purpose and embraces nihilism

Why might Aristotle’s Prime Mover fail if telos is rejected?

It relies on things naturally being drawn towards their purpose

How does Aristotle’s Prime Mover support morality?

It serves as a model of perfection

How does Ockham’s Razor support Aristotle?

It avoids the need for Plato’s separate realm of Forms

Why is the Prime Mover criticised as a moral foundation?

It is entirely self-contemplative and unaware of the universe

How does Aristotle describe the Prime Mover and why is this problematic?

It thinks only of itself

• Something unaware of humanity cannot easily provide moral guidance

How does Plato provide objective morality?

The Form of Good is the source of goodness itself

Which modern moral realists support Plato’s approach?

GE Moore and Iris Murdoch

What do moral realists share with Plato?

The belief that objective moral truths exist independently of human opinion

What is the strongest criticism of the Prime Mover?

It explains motion but not objective morality

What is the strongest criticism of the Form of Good?

It depends on a transcendent and unverifiable realm

What is the essay’s final judgement?

Plato’s Form of the Good is ultimately more convincing because it provides a stronger explanation of objective truth and morality