Today in class we learned about Aristotle and what his contributions to philosophical world. Aristotle was born in Stageira and was the student of Plato. He wrote on various subjects such as physics, metaphysics, rhetoric, politics, biology and ethics. He was a member of Plato’s Academy for 20 years. After teaching Alexander the Great abroad for thirteen years he returns to Plato’s Academy and is dissatisfied with the dogmatic way Plato’s view were being taught. He then starts his own academy called Lyceum. Unfortunately he is not a citizen so the school is held in the public gymnasium.
Aristotle came up with the idea about the Universals. I didn’t really understand Universals really well but this is it what I got out of it. The idea of anything cannot exist unless you can give it substance. For example, when you think desk there is an image in your mind that you will always associate with the desk. The image and the name are one in the same. You cannot have one without the other. There is no Platonic Form of deskness, standing apart from all desks; instead in each desk there is the same form of desk which all desks posses in themselves. Aristotle used this classification process on animals and grouped different animals into species.
Aristotle’s Physics or Metaphysics consisted of substance, which is the combination of matter (potential) and form (actual). The potency of substance means the capability of receiving form. Actuality is the fulfillment of its potency. Aristotle said that it is impossible to separate matter and form; therefore you can’t know the potential until you see it in its actuality. I don’t really understand what the 4 causes (material, formal, efficient, and final) mean.
Socrates’ ethics conclude that happiness is the end. He says that happiness is not a mere psychological feeling but an actuality via process moving toward the fulfillment of function. Happiness is tied to our virtue because you can only be happy once you are virtuous. Becoming happy is not an immediate process because there are two parts of the soul: the rational and the non-rational. Rational is the reason part of your soul and non-rational is your appetite or desire. The appetite part of your non-rational soul consists of things that don’t listen to your rational soul; for example, hunger or sleep. The desirous part of your non-rational soul can listen to reason. The Practical Truth is that our soul must be in harmony but this is only possible when there is agreement between desire and reason.
The idea of universals is that there is material and immaterial. So using the desk example the physical desk itself is the material and the idea of desk is the immaterial. The idea of desk is what is unique to a desk or what makes it a desk. Plato believes that you can have the idea of desk separate from the physical desk. Aristotle says that you must have the material desk to understand the immaterial desk.
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