The material cause refers to that substance out of which a thing is constructed. The formal cause is the idea of the thing in the mind of the creator who sets about creating that particular thing. The efficient cause is the Agent - or the being that creates the thing. The final cause is the purpose for which the thing has been created.
Mere potentiality does not exist on its own, but enters into the creation of all things - except for the Supreme Cause. Mere potentiality thus stands at one pole of reality, while the Supreme Cause - or God - is at the other. Both of these entities are real. Materia prima contains the most attenuated reality, as it is pure indeterminateness. God, on the other hand, contains the highest, most complete reality, as God is on the highest level of determinateness. One of the central tasks of metaphysics, then, becomes the demonstration of the existence of the Supreme Cause. This is what Aristotle attempts to do in his First Philosophy.
Departing from the first major premise of Socrates' teleological argument ("Whatever exists for a useful purpose must be the work of an intelligence"), Aristotle argues that, while motion is eternal, it is not possible that there may be an infinite series of movers and of things moved. Thus, there must be only one mover - the first in the series - that is unmoved.
In Metaphysics, Aristotle develops his notion that the actual is inherently antecedent to the potential. Thus, before all matter comes into existence, there must have existed a Being that is pure actuality, and whose life consists of self-contemplative thought. This is what God is. This Supreme Being managed to impart movement to the universe...
The reason for its existence can be affiliated with the world of art and legend. Unicorns also have the same two forms as the horse and the number four. When the word "unicorn" is mentioned, no doubt the image of a single horned horse comes to mind. This confirms that the unicorn has an archetypical form. A form within the mind and imagination that can consistently exist within the
Aristotle's Poetics Elements of Tragedy According to Aristotle, tragedy needs to be an imitation of life according to the law of probability or necessity. Tragedy is serious, complete, and has magnitude. It must have a beginning, middle, and end and be spoken in language that is fit for noble characters. Furthermore it must be acted, as opposed to epic poetry, which is narrated. Tragedy shows rather than tells. Finally it must result
Aristotle v. Plato Compare and contrast the metaphysical position of Aristotle and Plato. Does Aristotle's work constitute a sharp break with the position laid down by his teacher? Or is the old saying true that he apple does not fall far from the tree? Although their positions are often elided, the focus of Aristotle and Plato's metaphysical emphases is quite different. Ironically, given that one of his most famous works is called
3. Aristotle's Theory of Change In his Theory of Change, Aristotle attempts to explore the nature of how ad why things evolve, or change in form from one object or concept to another. One of the greatest wonders of man, which is still even debates today, is he process of how things evolve to be. Well, Aristotle presented his Theory of Change to account for how and why objects develop into
Aristotle & Cicero on Rhetoric As children we are conditioned to a particular form of discourse that is framed by a significantly complex set of variables including our culture, gender, ethnicity, birth order, political identity and power, religion, and personality. How we employ words, in what context, and with what relative level of effectiveness is determined by all of these factors and more. Rhetoric is, however effectively argued over, a tool
The best forms of government are those in which the leaders work for the benefit of the whole community. Little governments are actually good, as most act in favor of a specific social class, and not of the entire community. People tend to choose the form of government which benefits them the most, whether it is an oligarchy or a democracy. Plato could argue that the Aristotelian citizenship politics is completely
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now