Aristotle Research Paper

Rebecca Ellis
Philosophy 105L
Introduction to Philosophy
11/4/08

Fr. Bruce Taggart, O. Carm., Ph.D., Instructor

Aristotle; The Introduction of Physics Aristotle was born in Stagira, Macedonia during the fourth century Before Common Era. At this time period Macedonia was a semi-Hellenized area in the Balkan Peninsula. Aristotle’s father was a physician. The fact that his father had a profession in society makes people wonder if that is what sparked Aristotle’s interest in his surroundings, or his senses, and biology, or the study of life. In 384 BCE when Aristotle was eighteen years old he entered Plato’s Academy and remained there for twenty years. During his time at the Academy he was most intrigued by the observation, research
He didn’t agree that there was a world of immaterial forms perceived by the soul and then another world of individual material things perceived by the body. He also objected to Plato’s belief that there is a perfect form apart from the worldly forms. For instance according to Plato if there are 10 dogs on the world there are 11 dogs altogether because there is one more perfect one in the transcendental world. Aristotle believed there were only as many forms as there were in this world. In order then to understand the world Aristotle created his “science of nature” or Physics. He was very big into classification and is the man responsible for the classification of animal, vegetable, or mineral that we still use. At the heart of Aristotle’s Physics is his Four Causes. The causes are the formal, efficient, material, and final. The formal cause is the definition of form that makes us what we are. An example would be a dog can never be a cat because he has the dog form, his formal cause is dog. The efficient cause is what brought us to existence, for a baby this would be the parents. The third cause is the material cause. This is what we are made up of, and it is the same in all objects within the same form. This is like in humans we all have same amount of chromosomes, our material make up is exactly the same. The last cause is the final cause. This is the purpose of the form. For a child this
I think there is more to know and learn about him than any other philosopher that I have been exposed to. I knew of his theory of forms before and his virtue of golden mean, but I had never heard of is concept of his causes, which are like the basis of his physics. I think that Aristotle was the closest to actually creating an idea that people could just follow without being extremely radical. His concepts seemed very general. For instance, if starting today I tried to live by Aristotle’s way of thinking I think I could pretty much do it. I already practice the virtue of golden mean when I eat. I don’t want to eat too much, but I don’t want to starve either. Also I think that I believe in his four causes, they all make sense to me. There is obviously something that brought me into this word, I am made up of material, I do have the same basic form as a European human because I am human and I do believe I have a purpose. Also I agree with Aristotle that each person poses a soul within them. I am religious, and Plato’s theory seemed to be more religious than Aristotle’s, but seem to agree with Aristotle on the soul issue. One thing I wish I knew about Aristotle was if his father’s occupation inspired him to look at life through the scientific eye. All throughout school we had to classify and observe and I really find it interesting that the idea of that came from Aristotle during BCE. Another thing that I do which is inspired by Aristotle