Lecture 3: Aristotle Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Lecture 3: Aristotle Deck (7)
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1
Q

Timaeus

A

Natural Philosophy, origin of world and contents

  • > but also goes into Athens vs Atlantis
  • > how to live a good life, build good society
    • > harmony through society, law
  • > creation of the word by Demiurge
2
Q

Pythagoreans

A

Seek harmony in their school; ALL IS NUMBER

  • > like a math cult, secret knowledge, no beans
  • > numbers perfect unlike reality
  • > principle of math = principle of nature
    • > good ratios = good harmony

“God made the world the way number measure”

4 = MAGIC NUMBER
->1+2+3+4 = 10, 10 is a perfect number

First mathematical proof of c^2=… by rearrangement
->not just certain whole numbers

3
Q

Socrates, Origin of the world?

A

World built by a god (Diurge)

  • > not some all powerful omnipotent god
  • > one among other eternal elements (e.g. the forms)
  • > doesn’t create from nothing

In the beginning, world was formless

  • > void unformed matter
  • > God attempted to build using forms as blueprints
    • > matter fights, isn’t good enough to take the forms
  • > first forms triangles, square, pentagon… then builds

5 Perfect Shapes:

  • > Tetrahedron = fire (b/c pointy like fire)
  • > Cube = Earth, stable
  • > Icosahedron = Water, like a ball
  • > Dodecahedron = Aether
  • > Octahedron = Air

Everything based in trainges -> convertable!

  • > disassemble and recombine
    • > to make more complex forms
  • > THIS IS WHAT THE DIURGE DOES TO CREATE THE WORLD
4
Q

Plato’s Academy

A

The first real school

  • > of philosophy, not guilds or religion
    • > learn HOW TO STUDY the world
  • > near Hecademus, a field area
  • > patron god Athena

Entranceway: Let no one ignorant of math enter
->can’t learn anything without math

TRUTH VS WHAT IS IN FRONT OF US

THREE VALUES:

  • > Knowledge of Universal > Particulars
  • > Knowledge of Definite Structure > Vague structures
  • > True Knowledge is as things IDEALLY are

E.g. Universal graviation

  • > true for any two bodies
  • > ideal situation you’d never see
5
Q

Aristotle: History and contribution?

A

“THE Philosopher”, “The Father of Science”

  • > studied under Plato, but more into N. Phil
    • > focused more on teaching vs talking
  • > Presocratics had the right idea, but lacked method
  • > Father of Science b/c realised it was about figuring it all out together

Methodologist

  • > wanted to share method
  • > wrote treatise on Minerology, etc
6
Q

Aristotle: Origin of the world?

A

HYLE, “prime matter”

  • > unknowable, never exists without taking form
  • > no voids, because matter fills everything
    • > only becomes by imprinting of form
    • > wax and seal

First: imprint to EWFW

  • > then these are recombined into e.g. metal
    - >then those ercombine e.g. house

FOR AN OBJECT TO BE SOMETHING, FOR US TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF IT, IT MUST HAVE MATTER + FORM

HYLOMORPHISM: matter + form

a) Parmenides: Things come from nothing!
- >hyle is eternal
b) Heraclitus: All changing
- >forms imprint and reimprint constantly

7
Q

Explain why things happen a la Aristotle

A

To understand, you must understand all the causes.
E.g. a house:

1) Formal: qualities impressed on it = roof on top…
2) Material: matter taking on forms = bricks, mortar…
3) Efficient: Effort putting form -> matter = workers
4) Final: Purpose, why does it exist = provide shelter

Final cause = Natural Motion

  • Real purpose only exists in natural world
    • > artificial objects don’t actualize own motion
    • > You can interfere with natural motion!
      • > e.g. holding dirt, not letting it return to earth

Everything is alive.

  • > life needs no explanation
    • > arrow falls? physical world to be explained by natural world
    • > wheras for us physics is matter in motion, the ultimate explanation for all other science. Natural world must be explained by the physical.