Aristotles four causes
Material
formal
efficient/moving
- the original maker ex water bottle maker
final aka telos, the end goal/ purposerhetoric
knack for producing a certain kind of pleasure
ex donuts
socratic method
- we are searching for the one underlying thing that the many have in common
- questioning and then critiquing/ challenging the answer
Induction
inference of a general conclusion from particular instances ( hume) -probabilistic ex: most philosophers have a brain Kyle is a philosopher Therefore kyle probably has a brain BOTTOM UP
Deduction
inference of a particular conclusion from a general instance/ premise ( descartes, plato ) ex: all people are mortal I am a person therefore I am mortal TOP DOWN
Menos Paradox
p1. if you already know x, you cannot learn it
p2. if you don’t know x, you cannot recognize it when you encounter it
c1. whether you know or don’t know y, you cannot learn it
Socrates midwife
Because he doesn’t know, he can’t give answers, but he can help others by leading them to that answer.
The world of the senses
- Composites ( things with parts)
- changing
- many particulars
- visible: grasped via senses
The world of form
- non composites ( simple, indivisible things- in line with unity)
- unchanging
- few generalizations ( the thing in itself)
- invisible ( grasped via mind)
orders of time
particulars -> forms -> the good
order of being
the good-> forms-> particulars
Good soul
- connects to immaterial world of forms, reason ect
- happy afterlife
Bad soul
- tries to cling to body and physical realm
- unhappy afterlife
hylomorphism
every physical object is a composite of form and matter
socrates
material things -> the forms-> the good
Plato
mind-> the forms-> the good
aristotle
efficient -> material-> final
efficient: caused essay to come into existence
material: words, pen, paper, computer to write essay
types of deductive arguments
categorical syllogism: argument w two premises and a conclusion
disjunctive syllogism: either or
hypothetical syllogism: if a happens then B happens, if B then C and so on 9 (chain)
Modens ponen + tollens: if a then B
Ponen: a is true
tollen: b is false
Final cause
what a thing is aimed for ( the end, the good, telos)
The good
for the sake of which something is done
Types of ends
fundamental: useful/sought for their own sake
Instrumental: useful/sought for attaining something else of value
gudaimonia
happiness or flourishing
- different translations
aristotles political theory
- humans are social animals
- good of the city > good of individual
Aquinas treatise on the last end
- everything tends toward its end
- humans use reason/ will to tend toward our end ( ultimately its God, aprrox its happiness)
