1. Chapter 4 Aristotle

2. How does Aristotle’s empiricism differ from Plato’s rationalism? What are the four causes? What is a syllogism? What is the First Mover? What is the Golden Mean? What is catharsis? How do Aristotle’s views on art differ from those of Plato?

3. ARISTOTLE Rebel against Platonism! Tutor of Alexander the Great!

4. A rebel about a cause How did Aristotle disagree with Speusippus about causes and effects?

5. Armchair philosophy, or observation? Do you think that empirical observations are useful for philosophy, or not? Why do you think as you do? Who would agree with you—Plato or Aristotle?

6. Who was right— or were they both? Presocractics The physical world Socratics The nonphysical world of the Forms

7. Is this the same picture as before? Or has it changed?

8. The same type of thing? Chairs Made of wood Tables Made of wood

9. HOW DO THINGS CHANGE? A caterpillar changes into a butterfly. Trees grow, age, decay. Humans are born, age, and die. REALLY? How can we say that a human has changed, and yet she remains the same human as before?

10. Parmenides’ Puzzle Isn’t change impossible? After all, for something to come into being, it must first be nothing—and for something to go out of being, it would have to become nothing. But both of these transformations are impossible!

11. The Four Causes So, how is change possible—if it even exists? What’s the difference between matter (pure potential) and form (pure actuality?)

12. Are you made of the same type of “stuff” as your classmates? What makes you, you?

13. The Four Causes What is everything in the world made of? What works together to bring reality into existence? BUT….. ….How does matter take on different forms?

14. Explanations! Material explanation…. …..formal explanation…. …..efficient explanation…. …..efficient explanation…. ….final explanation.

15. How do these different types of explanations work together to give a coherent picture of reality?

16. The Four Causes

17. What makes a knife good? WHY?

18. What is “goodness”? Are you a good person? Really? How do you know this? What are the criteria for being a good person? Can you prove that your criteria are correct? How?

19. CAUTION! Some of what you believe is false. Unfortunately, you don’t know which of your beliefs are mistaken. Is the same true of Aristotle? Of your friends? Of your professor?

20. Can we verify our beliefs through commonsense observation? What would a sunrise look like if the Sun revolved around the Earth?

21. Aristotle’s Logic Aristotle developed a system of logic to delineate the pattern of the human mind and nature itself.

22. Mind and Nature Do you think that how you think corresponds to the structure of the universe? Why, or why not?

23. Is this a valid syllogism? All women die Aristotle is a woman Therefore…. …..Aristotle will die.

24. GOD… …is the widest circle of the Venn diagram. What does this mean?

25. How did the universe begin? How do we explain change in the world around us?

26. Rationality, Emotion, and the Golden Mean

27. Courage What is it to be courageous? Have you ever been courageous? How did you know?

28. Theater! Would Aristotle be pleased if his son Nicomachus became a theatre major?

29. What’s the Point? Why do you watch movies and television shows? Why do you care if they are “unrealistic”? After all, shouldn’t they be more than mere mimicry to have value to you?

30. “Philosophy begins in wonder” Do you want to know about the universe—or would you rather remain ignorant? Choose! But… be wary of thinking that your inquiries will ever let you arrive at the Truth!