The AS section of the OCR A Level philosophy of religion specification is thoroughly addressed in this study guide. It provides a comprehensive coverage with meticulously organized, detailed, and clear notes. Additionally, the guide includes enriching quotes, insights from renowned scholars, and we...
Ancient Philosophical Influences
PLATO – relied on reason and believed that the most important aspect of reality lay beyond
this world
ARISTOTLE – relied on knowledge and believed that the most important thing to do was to
gain understanding of this world.
BOTH agree on philosophical thought and reason as a means of gaining truth.
Plato’s Cave:
- Story asked us to imagine that a group of prisoners were chained up in a cave and
that they have been there since birth. They can only see the shadows projected on
the wall from the fire. They believe that the shadows are all that exists.
- If one day a prisoner were realised outside of the cave they would realise that the
cave itself was just a shadow of the world and if the realised prisoner were to return
and pass on the new information about the real world, Plato argues that he would
not be believed and the other prisoners might even threaten to kill him.
Meaning and message:
- The outside world is the WORLD OF THE FORMS
- Plato is stating that this world is not the real and the real world is an unchanging
world of the forms
- Knowledge through the mind and not senses (a priori)
- The realised prisoner is philosophers, and they know what’s good and true due to
their knowledge
Platos Forms:
Forms – name Plato gives to ideal concepts that exist in reality
E.g. – different types of chairs we can see that even though they are different there is
something they all have in common. And platos idea there are many beautiful things and
there is one thing that they have in common, this is the form or idea of beauty.
THE FORM OF THE GOOD:
- Is the ultimate form
- The perfection of forms comes from the form of the good.
- In the allegory of the cave, the form of the good is represented by the sun in the
outside world. Just as the sun gives light to the real world, so the form of the good
illumines the other forms
, Assessing Platos on the forms
FOR AGAINST
One over many argument. When we Wittgenstein – he suggested that there is
observe different particulars, i.e., chairs we no ‘one over many’ but merely a series of
can recognise that they are the same sort overlapping characteristics. Just as
of thing even if we cannot explain exactly members of the family may each resemble
why that is. Even a small child can correctly other member of the family, but there is no
identify. That the new thing in front of her one thing that is specific to the family.
is a chair even though she has never seen
one quite like this before. Plato argues that
we have an innate ability to recognise the
forms that our souls knew before we were
born. Without the form, it is not possible to
explain sameness and we are able to
recognise the ‘one’ that is over the ‘many’.
The idea standard. The idea of the forms The third Man Argument – if, as Plato
can be used to support a belief in absolute argues, we need the idea of the forms to
unchanging moral rules. The form is the explain what objects have in common what
ideal standard of a property. While it may is to stop us once we have arrived at the for
not seem important to judge which is the asking what the form and the particulates
best chair, some of the higher forms, such have in common and thus requiring a third
as goodness and justice, seem too thing to explain this. This process could
important to be a matter of opinion. The proceed infinitely, and we would never get
form of the good gives us an absolute idea an explanation of anything.
of what goodness really is, it is not a matter
of opinion.
Plato claims there must be from for
everything can be carried to absurdity.
Must there real be an ideal from of dirt,
hair or even, as Stephen law argues ‘the
form of the bogey’
The theory of evolution advances in
chemistry mean that we do now have an
empirical means of explaining what similar
objects or animals have in common.
^ For the above it can be argued that they can only arise if we take, the theory of the forms
too literally. Plato us ambiguous about whether all objects have forms. Hr is primarily
concerned with prophecies such as goodness, justice, and beauty.
, Aristotle’s understanding of reality:
- Whereas Plato believed that ultimate. Reality was beyond this world and could only
be grasped by a priori reasoning, his pupil Aristotle took the opposite ire. Aristotle’s
aim is to explain the world around him as the world is the real world.
The Four Causes:
1. Material cause – the thing that it is made from, ie wood of the chair. This the thing
that the process of change begins
2. Formal cause – the structure of the form of the finished thing
3. Efficient cause- as the ‘primary source of change’. The maker of the object
4. Final cause – it is the purpose of which something is done or made. In one of his own
explains the final cause or telos of walking is to be healthy.
Why they matter?
- This world is the real world and the talk of philosophers is to explain it
- The key to knowledge is the empirical method
- The world and all that is in it has a purpose or telos.
Aristotle four causes explain the indicualad changes within the world but he also believes
that the world as a whole needs explaining. And this is through the prime mover
The Prime mover
- Unchanging and it is immutable (idea god does not change)
- Eternal
- Must be perfect, as it is unchanging
- Impassive, it does not experience emotion
Aristotle’s prime Religious views of
mover Good (but
understood in God
Immutable All powerful
Impassive different ways)
Eternal All knowing
Unaware of the Interacts with and
world Perfect
The first cause loves the World
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