Term
| Problem of change for the Milesians |
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Definition
| How can things change and yet some feature of it remain the same through change? What is that matter or “substratum” out of which things come to exist and which persists throughout a lifetime of development? |
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Term
| What is a “first principle”? |
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Definition
| They were looking for mechanisms in nature that would explain change and how it worked, and they assumed three things: (1) there must be underlying principles that caused all the different phenomena in nature (2) there was only one such fundamental principle (referred to as “the first principle” or arche), and (3) that principle was a material principle (i.e., something composed of matter). (Materialism) |
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Term
| What kind of features did the Milesians think a first principle should have? |
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Definition
The First Principle (arche) must:
(a) explain why x can change (move/be altered) and yet remain the same in some way (i.e., the same object can persist through changes),
(b) must have its own internal principle of motion/change (otherwise it wouldn’t be the explanation we seek). |
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Term
What was Thales’ first principle?
issues? |
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Definition
Water
issues:One problem with this suggestion: each element has its own nature so it can’t become a radically different thing (like fire). (Fire and water were thought to be opposites which can destroy one another.) |
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Term
| What was Anaximenes first principle? |
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Definition
the first principle must be something other than four elements, something with an indefinite nature (something that can become all things, which the elements cannot do).
“The Indefinite” – metaphysical principle postulated on basis of rational argumentation rather than empirical observation. Substratum of all observable things is itself something unobservable and completely unlike observable things (i.e., has an indefinite nature). |
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Term
What is the Theory of Flux?
(3 points) |
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Definition
by Heraclitus:
1. everything is constantly changing
2. Opposite things are identical
3. Everything is and is not at the same time |
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Term
| What basic principle does Heralitus's theory of flux deny? |
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Definition
| The Principle of Non-Contradiction |
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Term
| What method of inquiry does Parmenides "way of truth" depend on? |
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Definition
| The true nature of reality is revealed by purely rationalistic inquiry |
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Term
| What method of inquiry does Parmenides "way of opinion" depend on? |
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Definition
appearances
the way nature appears to us based on sense-perception, which is deceptive |
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Term
| What is Parmenides "guiding principle" for his purely rational method of inquiry? |
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Definition
| "Whatever is is and necessarily is. whatever is not is not and necessarily is not. |
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Term
| What features does Parmenides characterization of Being have? |
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Definition
Being is in itself, on thing, eternally unchanging ungenerated whole and complete.
What is possible = what exists = what is conceivable by thought |
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Term
| What does Parmenides characterization of Being have exclude? |
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Definition
Nothing is truly in a state of Becoming
there are no unrealized possibilities
qualitative change, and motion cannot occur |
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Term
| How is death defined in the Phaedo? |
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Definition
| the separation of the soul from the body |
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Term
| How does Socrates characterize the relationship between the soul and the body? |
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Definition
| The body is an obstacle to acquiring knowledge so we should welcome the separation of the soul and body. |
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Term
| What does Socrates mean by learning is just recollection? |
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Definition
| We recognize imperfect representations of forms in the natural world, but also understand that they are imperfect representations. to know this we must have some knowledge of the forms that we had before birth that we are remembering |
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Term
| How does Socrates learning by recollection theory prove that the soul is immortal? |
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Definition
Recollection theory + cosmic recycling;
An ancient theory that all things come from their opposites in an endless cycle of regeneration. |
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Term
| Why must we have an innate knowledge of the Forms? |
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Definition
| There is no perfect representation of a Form in the natural world, but we still know about it. B/c this knowledge does not come from sense perception, we must have it from before we had senses ie b4 birth |
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Term
| What are the Forms according to Plato? |
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Definition
| the absolute, changeless, perfect essence of a thing. One exists for every property that can be shared, and gives unity to the set of things containing that property. |
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Term
Where are the forms located?
Why? |
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Definition
The intelligible realm
the sensible realm is in a sate of constant flux, but the forms must be eternally unchanging |
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Term
| features of the intelligible realm vs sensible realm |
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Definition
intelligible:
Forms perceived by reason alone
unchanging
really real
Sensible:
objects of sense perception
a world of flux
imperfect copies of forms
seemingly real |
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Term
| What do Aristotles categories represent? |
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Definition
| Categories are ways of carving up reality into the most basic categories of human thought and expression. |
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Term
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Definition
Substances retain their identity through change.
Primary = individual things
Secondary = classes or kinds of things |
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Term
| How are natural objects different from artificial ones? |
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Definition
Natural objects = have an innate impulse to change or alter themselves in some way
Artificial = no innate impulse; are not the source of their own production of any changes that occur to them |
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Term
| What two components make up all primary substances? |
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Definition
1. Matter = material a thing is made out of
2. Form = the principle that structures the matter & gives things qualities/behaviors. What brings an object into existence |
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Term
| How do Plato's forms differ from Aristotle's forms? |
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Definition
| Aristotles are internal principles. Can exist in the natural world despite change bc the world changes in predictable ways structured by these forms. |
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Term
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Definition
| The idea that many of the activities of objects in the natural world are done in the sake of achieving a goal. |
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