Study Guide Unit 1 chap 2

Question 1

Front

Answer 1

Back

Question 2

Describe Plato’s (ca. 427–347 BC) theory of forms, his analogy of the divided line, his allegory of the cave, the reminiscence theory of knowledge, his beliefs regarding the nature of the soul, and the nature of sleep and dreams. Describe the influence of Plato on the development of science.
Comment: Plato’s reminiscence theory of knowledge is found in the Meno. It consists of an easily readable dialogue between Socrates and a boy. The boy is led by Socrates’s questions and prompts to “recall” innate knowledge consisting, for example, of geometry and geometrical relationships. From a modern perspective, it seems obvious that Socrates’s questions led the boy to learn the knowledge rather than to recall it, but the story nonetheless makes for engaging reading.

Answer 2

Forms: eternal, perfect realities; physical objects are imperfect copies known via reason. Divided line: hierarchy from illusion/belief to mathematical reasoning and knowledge of Forms. Cave: prisoners mistake shadows for reality; escape symbolizes education and philosophical insight. Reminiscence: learning is recollection of innate knowledge known by the soul before birth. Soul: immortal and tripartite (rational, spirited, appetitive). Sleep/dreams: dreams reflect internal conflicts among soul parts. Influence on science: emphasized rationalism, mathematics, and abstract models of reality that shaped later scientific thought. Comment included on card front.

Question 3

Describe Aristotle’s (384–322 BC) philosophy in terms of the basic differences he had with Plato. Describe Aristotle’s views regarding (a) causation and teleology; (b) the hierarchy of souls; (c) sensation; (d) common sense, passive reason, and active reason; (e) memory and recall; (f) imagination and dreaming; (g) and motivation and emotions.
Comment: Aristotle’s laws of association have a surprisingly modern tone. They are quite like Thorndike’s laws and Guthrie’s laws, which were formulated in the early part of the 20th century.

Answer 3

Differences from Plato: knowledge begins with sensory experience; forms exist within objects, not separately. (a) Causation/teleology: four causes; natural processes goal-directed. (b) Souls: vegetative, sensitive, rational hierarchy. (c) Sensation: senses receive form without matter. (d) Common sense integrates sensations; passive reason stores impressions; active reason abstracts universals. (e) Memory/recall: associations formed by contiguity, similarity, contrast. (f) Imagination/dreams: images recombine experience; dreams from residual sensory activity. (g) Motivation/emotions: behavior aims at goals; virtue regulates emotions via reason. Comment included on card front.