Metaphysics

Front 1

Define: Morphe

Back 1

Formal Cause - Physical form of the object

Front 2

Define: Telos

Back 2

Final Cause - Reason for existence

Front 3

Define: Hule

Back 3

Material Cause - Composition of object

Front 4

Define: Kinesis

Back 4

Efficient Cause - Who made this?

Front 5

Define: On/Ontology

Back 5

Being // The study of Being

Front 6

Define: Episteme / Epistemology

Back 6

Knowledge / The study of Knowledge

Front 7

Define: Nous

Back 7

Intellect/Intelligence

Front 8

Define: Dianoia

Back 8

Discursive Thought (Shapes, numbers)

Front 9

Noesis

Back 9

Understanding

Front 10

Paideia

Back 10

Education

Front 11

Apaideia

Back 11

Ignorance

Front 12

Periagoge

Back 12

Metaphorical "turning around," conversion

Front 13

Eidos

Back 13

Set of universal properties (forms)

Front 14

Paradeigma (en phuse)

Back 14

Patterns or models (in nature)

Front 15

Aitia

Back 15

Cause (Aristotle)

Front 16

Define: Ta meta, ta Physica

Back 16

"The Book After the Physics" // Metaphysics

Front 17

Define: Philo sophia

Back 17

Philosophy (Love of wisdom)

Front 18

Greek Philosophers are tied together because of what trait?

Back 18

Language

Front 19

Define: Etymology

Back 19

The study of Language

Front 20

Define: Interlocutor

Back 20

Conversant

Front 21

What main problems do the Republic and The Divided Line tackle?

Back 21

The ideal political system, justice, and proper rulers (guardians)

Front 22

Define: Polis

Back 22

City-state

Front 23

Name the two realms of The Divided Line

Back 23

The Intelligible, Abstract world and the Sensible, Visible world

Front 24

Define: Genesis

Back 24

Beginning

Front 25

Define: Aisthesis

Back 25

Sense perception (Aesthetics)

Front 26

Define the 4 aspects of the Ontological side of the Divided Line and their Epistemological counterparts

Back 26

Paintings, mirror reflections // Imaginations (eikasia)

Physical Objects // Beliefs (pistis) (Unjustified truths)

Symbols, numbers, shapes, letters // Thought (Dianoia) (Discursive Thought)

Forms (Idea, Eidos) // Understanding (Noesis) (The thing itself)

Front 27

Explain the difference between Plato's definition of particulars and universals

Back 27

Particulars - instantiations of the universal (the Mona Lisa as opposed to the idea of a painting itself)

Forms - Everlasting object that is a model in which all particulars modeled after it must take place (Dog itself, beauty itself)

Front 28

What does Plato use to represent "The Good" in the material world? Why?

Back 28

The Sun. Plato explains as the Sun allows man to see things by illuminating them and making them visible, the Good brings concepts to light and makes them visible to man

Front 29

What does it mean when forms are defined as "One over many?"

Back 29

There are many instances, but only one ideal form which encompasses them.

Front 30

How is the Divided Line, divided? Explain.

Back 30

Becoming (Genesis) and Being (On)

The material world is always "in flux," or a state of becoming; it is never constant and always changes, while the opposite is true for the intelligible world.

Front 31

Define: Platanism

Back 31

The idea that the real realm of "true" being lies outside of the physical realm (An intelligible realm exists)

Front 32

Give an example of Pistis.

Back 32

Heliocentrism vs. Geocentrism

Propaganda

False presentation of information

Front 33

What is the significance of the concept of "conversion" in Plato's Republic? How does it pertain to paideia?

Back 33

The concept of conversion in Plato's Republic concerns itself with creating an ideal society and spreading happiness to all of its citizens; in order to do this, paideia, or education, is necessary. Plato's idea is that philosophers who are educated and are enlightened are meant to share their enlightenment with the common people, living in darkness. To do so successfully, they must metaphorically descend into the darkness, where the common people reside, and compel them to ascend and see the truth (to wake up, instead of dream). In this way, they become Philosopher Kings, and are tasked with governing society, as they are the ones least eager to do so.

Front 34

Give a brief summary of The Allegory of the Cave.

Back 34

The Allegory of the Cave begins with prisoners shackled by their arms, legs, and head. They are in a cave, with a stage, a fire, and a staircase leading upwards with little light shining through. The fire is between the prisoners and a pathway behind them, where people hold up figures of things (once removed; stuffed animal, doll, etc). The objects cast a shadow onto a stage wall of sorts, where the prisoners can only see those (twice removed, shadow of a fake object). One of the prisoners is released, and they eventually see the staircase, ascend, and realize that all they have known is a lie. They are compelled to go down out of obligation to the other prisoners to tell them the truth, but are ridiculed and threatened.

Front 35

What is the primary subject matter of the Allegory of the Cave? What does it have to do with us?

Back 35

The Allegory of the Cave is a symbolic story that represents Plato's Divided Line in action, and the human condition. The Prisoners in the story represent us, the common people, who are unable to see the truth in things. We are meant to experience a periagoge, or metaphorical conversion, in which we realize that the shadows cast in front of us are only illusions (propaganda, misleading information, etc).

Front 36

What is one counterargument that Parmenides makes to Socrates' theory of forms in the Parmenides dialogue? Explain.

Back 36

One of Parmenides' counterarguments to Socrates' theory of Forms is The Third Large argument; this argument targets the idea that forms are an object that exists in the intelligible realm.

Parmenides begins by saying there is a set of objects that exist, {A, B, C}. These objects all have a quality, largeness (L1), which makes them large. However, by participating, largeness itself must be an object in the set, as it is large; this means a new set is made, {A, B, C, L1}. Again, a quality must be shared with all of them, making another object which needs to be included in the set. Repeat ad infinitum.

Front 37

What logical fallacy does Parmenides' Third Large argument highlight in Socrates' thinking?

Back 37

Infinite Regression

Front 38

Define: Mereology

Back 38

The study of parts in its relation to the whoe

Front 39

What is one significant way in which the ontology of Aristotle differs from his teacher, Plato? Explain.

Back 39

While Aristotle and Plato both have some form of basis on the existence of particulars and universals, their thinking is somewhat reversed. Plato places significance on the form, the ideal object which contains properties in which all instances of it must take place; Aristotle places emphasis on the particular, the physical world in which an individual can examine a specific object. Because of this, he labels the particular as the primary substance and the universal as the secondary substance.

Front 40

Define: Categoreyo

Back 40

To predicate, to classify

Front 41

List Aristotle's Ten Categories.

Back 41

QPQ TAPPERS

Quality, Position, Quantity, Time, Activity, Passivity, Place, Equipment, Relation, Substance

Front 42

From what do all other categories depend on for existence?

Back 42

Substance - Without it, no other category can exist

Front 43

Define a Primary and a Secondary substance.

Back 43

Primary Substance - Particular

Secondary Substance - Universal

Brian is a person.

Front 44

Explain the rationale behind Secondary Substance classification. Give examples.

Back 44

Secondary substances are split into a binary of species and genus. Species are more informative and closer to the primary substance, while genus are more general.

Ex. Canine, Mammal, Animal.

In relation to Mammal, canine is the species and mammal is the genus. (All canine are mammals, not all mammals are canine.)

In relation to animal, mammal is the species and animal is the genus. (All mammals are animals, not all animals are mammals.)

Front 45

What does it mean when it is said that Primary Substances can receive contraries?

Back 45

It means that they can be contradictory at any point in time; for example, a person can be bald, then not, or one place, then not.

Front 46

Explain the Ontology of Predication.

Back 46

Said of, but not present in (secondary substance)

Neither said of nor present in (individual substance)

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said of and present in (universal non-substance) (good, rational) (adjectives)

Not said of, but present in (individual non-substance) (my knowledge of philosophy, this shade of red) (definition does not apply to the whole person)

Front 47

Define: Pros hen

Back 47

Towards one (towards the substance)

Front 48

What are some of Aristotles' arguments against Plato's theory of Forms?

Back 48

- The Third Man Argument (same as the third large)

- Violations of Occam's Razor (The idea that if there are two ways to explain something, the simpler explanation is better)

- Unnecessary multiplication of entities

- The idea that forms of negation exist

Front 49

Define: Hylomorphism

Back 49

The idea that physical objects are created from matter (Hule) and form (Morphe)

Front 50

Give an example of Aristotles' Four Causes with the subject being an Axe.

Back 50

Morphe (Formal Cause) - Long handle, large sharp blade at end

Telos (Final Cause) - Chop trees, wood, use as weapon

Kinesis (Efficient Cause) - Blacksmith, manufacturer

Hule (Material Cause) - Wood, Steel, Copper, whatever metal the axe blade is made of

Front 51

Define and explain Aristotles' 3 Modes of Substance.

Back 51

Potentiality - Potential to come to something (Ex. axe with a dull blade)

First actuality - Coming to be (Ex. Axe with a sharp blade, but not in use at the moment)

Second actuality - Full actuality (Axe in use to cut wood, chop trees)

Front 52

List an advantage of Plato's Theory of Forms.

Back 52

Forms allow for objective norms, meaning there would be objective qualities for things that often are interpreted subjectively. (Example: Justice, Good)

Front 53

After the Third Large argument, what does Socrates suggest? Why is it wrong?

Back 53

Socrates suggests that forms are merely ideas; Parmenides refutes this by explaining that an idea cannot be simply thought of, as there must be a material object to base that thought off of. For example, one cannot think of beauty itself, but thinks of things that are beautiful. Additionally, it would imply that particulars are also ideas, and are therefore participating in thinking.

Front 54

Explain Socrate's assertion that forms are "Paradeigmata en Phuse."

Back 54

Paradegimata en Phuse - Patterns in Nature

Socrates attempts to explain forms by calling them patterns in nature; by this, he means that the particulars do not participate in the idea, but rather model themselves after it, such as an image or likeness of the form.

Front 55

Define: Hemera

Back 55

The day

Front 56

Explain Parmenide's Sail analogy.

Back 56

Parmenides attempts to get to the root of Socrates' thinking; to do so, he asks Socrates how the particular relates to the ideal. One of the questions he asks is in the form of an analogy concerning a sail and people; the sail acts as the ideal, and the people are the particulars. If the sail covers the people, is a different part of the sail over each person, or is the whole sail over all? Socrates posits that a different part is over each person, and Parmenides refutes this by explaining that the form is divided and that only a part of the form could exist in each particular.