Aristotle

1. Aristotle's Biology

1.1. Metaphysics- "All men by nature desire to know. An example is the delight we take in our senses."

1.2. Believed nature does nothing by chance. Senses are used to understand the world.

1.3. To obtain knowledge, you must begin with your senses.

2. What is a Teleological System?

2.1. He believed that everything has causes.

2.1.1. Material cause- the material from which the thing is made.

2.1.2. Formal cause- The shape or form a thing must take in order to be recognized

2.1.3. Efficient cause- the actual force used to make the thing.

2.1.4. Final cause- What is the ultimate purpose of the thing.

3. Where do the forms reside?

3.1. Aristotle believed that the forms lie inside the things themselves.

3.1.1. Ex: the form of an oak tree is inside the acorn.

3.2. Each thing that we see is part of a teleological (goal oriented) system.

4. How do our senses differ from other animals?

4.1. All life forms have nutritive, reproductive, and locomotive power.

4.2. Animals differ by having the power of sensation and perception.

4.3. More complex animals have intellectual power (problem solving ability).

4.4. Humans have a special intellectual power called reason, the ability to comprehend universals.

5. How is Aristotle different from Plato and Socrates.

5.1. He is a scientific and practical thinker.

5.2. Does not believe in the world of forms. Everything we can understand we can touch

5.3. He applies a scientific model to philosophical investigation.