Plato & Aristotle

PLATO & ARISTOTLE 

A01

Plato: A priori

theory of the forms: Rationalist, dualist, reality consists of the physical world of phenomena and the world of concepts (the world of forms or ideas)

Physical world known through experience, empirical observation, but sense can be misleading- world of forms know through reason which gives more certainty. 

World of forms in unchanging vs physical world is always changing. -meaning knowledge abt the forms has a lasting certainty knowledge of the physical can never have. 

Physical world is give its reality by the forms.

The forms: they are concepts, ideals and universals which can help us understand the world. Eg if we know the forms of justice, then we can recognise it/them in the physical world. Phenomena in the physical world ‘participate’ in their forms. Forms are superior to physical phenomena, bc they are unchanging - so they can be objects of certain knowledge & known through reason. The form of good is the highest. It illuminates them. 

Philosophy leads us to a recognition of true goodness, so philosophers should rule the state. We know innately about the forms from birth- so we must have encountered them before we were born- therefore we must have immortal souls which are capable of living without being in our physical bodies.

The analogy of the cave:

Uses it to demonstrate how empirical knowledge is inferior to knowledge of the forms. Empirical is not certain, always changing compared to the rational knowledge of the forms. 

The people (prisoners) in the cave, who have never known anything else, witness the shadows and think that is what they are, all they are, when in reality they are a mere reflection of the actual objects they are shadowing. Their experiences are only shadows of the truth, but accept these at face value bc they do not know any better and never question their senses. 

A prisoner leaves the cave (the physical world) and is enlightened by the form of good, giving him knowledge of the world as it really is. 

The cave demonstrates how knowledge Gaines the rough senses is often misleading. 

If you never question knowledge gained through the senses you are ‘imprisoned’ by your own ignorance. 

We mistake the information we gain through our senses as being ‘truth’, but real truth is found through philosophy which leads us to the forms. 

Aristotle: a posteriori 

Wanted to know where the movement in the world came from- recognised that starts orbit the world. So he suggested there are 40 rings the 40^th is closest to the prime mover- attracted to its perfectness and is put into motion- starts to orbit which in turn sets off the rest of the rings and we see all of those orbit the world. 

Sets up idea of perfect eternal god which is used by Aq. Cats and milk analogy. The cat is attracted to the milk- but the milk does not care about the cat. This is like the perfect uncaring god. 

Empiricist, we gain…