Essay
Analyse Aristotle's Four Causes - OCR A Level RS H573/01
- Course
- Institution
An essay which analyses Aristotle's 'Four Causes' as taught under OCR A Level RS H573/01 Philosophy of Religion
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
superstar997
Content preview
Analyse Aristotle’s Four CausesIn attempting to explain why things exist, Aristotle
asserts as part of his four causes that all things which
exist have a final cause, or a reason/purpose for
existing (denoted by the Greek word 'telos'). He goes
further to claim that things which are 'good' are things
which fulfil their telos, eg a 'good' chair is one which
allows someone to sit down. Although this theory
might work with inanimate objects which exist within
the universe, it fails on a larger scale. One object may
fulfil many purposes, and there is no boundary to
which something can be considered to fulfil its telos.
For example, a river may be considered 'good' if it
provides water to people or animals, but it could also
be considered 'good' if it continues to flow and not
evaporate. Aristotle does not clearly define how to
establish the final cause of something. Furthermore,
the universe at large could be said to have no purpose
to it at all. This is the view of Bertram Russell, who
claimed that the existence of the universe is a 'brute
fact', and again, Aristotle claims that the universe has a
telos, but does not state what that purpose is, nor how
it can be fulfilled. Hence, Aristotle's Four Causes
appear to be weak in attempting to explain the
purpose for things existing as some things could have
many reasons for existing, or none at all, and Aristotle
does not tell us how to distinguish between such final
causes.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller superstar997. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $7.61. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
79223 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now