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Aristotle

Aristotle. 384-322 BCE. Works Used. Metaphysics Nicomachean Ethics Parts of Animals Physics Rhetoric Poetics Politics. Aristotle’s Metaphysics. General Philosophy Being ( ens ) Being ( esse ) Change over time. Kinds of Beings/Substances. Infinite Being (Natural/Soul)

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Aristotle

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  1. Aristotle 384-322 BCE

  2. Works Used • Metaphysics • Nicomachean Ethics • Parts of Animals • Physics • Rhetoric • Poetics • Politics

  3. Aristotle’s Metaphysics General Philosophy Being (ens) Being (esse) Change over time

  4. Kinds of Beings/Substances Infinite Being (Natural/Soul) Intelligent Beings (Natural/Soul) Living Beings (Natural/Soul) Natural inanimate Beings (Natural/Soulless) Dependent Beings (Accidents not a substance) Beings of Reason Artificial Beings

  5. Being, qua being Natural beings Artificial Beings Living Beings Non-Living Sentient Beings Rock Chemical element Humans Cats Trees A A John Rolly My apple tree This golden nugget This Igneous rock A A A A M A F (end)

  6. The Study of Being Being (ens), qua being The properties of being. The different kinds of being. The causes of beings (How they come into being, esse?)

  7. Categories: An Ontology of the World/Universe Primary Substance/Being Secondary Substance: species Accidents: quality, quantity, number, place, time, motion, position, being affected, affecting.

  8. Coming into being Beings (ens) come into being (esse) From nothing and into existence. How do they come into being? Why do they come into being? What explains the evolution of things? What explains why things are the way they are? (Why do humans have teeth? Why do they have the molars? Etc)

  9. Epistemology: Knowledge The world is intelligible. “All men by nature to desire to know….the human race lives also by art and reasonings” Metaphysics 1:1. Why? Wonder

  10. 4 Causes 1) Efficient 2) Final 3) Formal 4) Material

  11. Substance and Causes SUBSTANCE (offspring) FORM 2. Formal Cause 3. Final Cause Substance (parent) 1. Efficient Cause MATTER 4. Material Cause

  12. The Final Cause Reason: Purpose, “that for the sake of which” Not Necessity Not Chance

  13. Aristotle’s Aesthetics 1. What is Art 2. Nature and Art 3. Good Art 4. Beauty 5. Poetry 6. Music

  14. 1. What is Art Art is a “reasoned state of capacity to make.” Art entails an efficient cause: The artist Art entails a final cause: the plan, purpose, or end. Art entails hypothetical necessity. Art excludes chance.

  15. Art as Human Making Artshould be broadly construed to encompass human making, including house building (i.e., the art of house building), medicine (i.e., the art of doctoring). Ethicsencompasses human behavior

  16. 2. Nature and Art “generally art partly completes what nature cannot bring to a finish, and partly imitates her”(87) Aristotle claims that art and nature are similar insofar as they both entail intelligent design or “intelligent action”. If art were to make nature or nature art, there would be no difference!

  17. Nature and Art 1) Art is like nature in its process of creation. 2) Humans who make art are of nature and thus art is simply an extension of nature (human making), just as human action and human thought.

  18. 3. Good Art Is there such a thing as good and bad art/human making? If so, what discerns good art? How can we distinguish (what criteria can we use) good art from bad art?

  19. Aesthetics as a Normative If we admit that there is an objective standard in art, then we can consider the art as normative (similar to ethics). In other words, the prescriptive sentence makes sense: “You ought to value this work of art more than that work of art”

  20. Good behavior vs. Good making What should be considered good behavior (actions) is dependent on the form (essence) of the thing (i.e., expected functions based on the nature of the thing). Good behavior for a sight hound is different from good behavior for a scent hound

  21. Good Behavior for Humans Good behavior for humans is also based on the essence (form) of humans and the expected functions based on the nature of being human. The ultimate end (end of ends) of humans is that which is never a means for another end; it is an end in itself; it is that end for which all other ends strive toward. HAPPINESS/HUMAN FLOURISGHING (eudaimonia)

  22. Virtue Arete or Virtue means excellence. Being virtuous means acting excellently. Acting excellently means acting in accordance with human function, that is, in accordance with the purpose of being human (acting toward our natural end).

  23. Virtue Acting in accordance with our human end will result in the highest and most perfect life. This life style will produce eudaimonia or human flourishing (happiness). This is the natural good.

  24. What is Essential Function of Humans Humans function well when they act in accordance with reason. Rational action is virtuous!

  25. Acting and Making If rational action is good action, then we can conclude that rational making is what good art means! Hence the definition of art: Art is a “reasoned state of capacity to make.”

  26. What is Rational Making? Again, let us return to Aristotle’s conception of rational action. Rational action leads to the famous Golden Mean and the virtue of prudence. To measure one’s action in accordance with a rational understanding of practical context.

  27. Back to Plato’s Conception of Measure To be prudent in one’s life is to measure one’s action in accordance with the practical circumstances. The right amount and the right way is determined through rational calculation toward a moderate center. The verification of this target is experience and we can only have an approximation of the target.

  28. Good Art/Making (from the artist’s perspective) Imitation in accordance with reason Good art entails human makings that are in accordance with the virtuous life; it supports and encourages human function in accordance with human form. Good art entails human making in which the process (the making) leads the artists to a virtuous life by teaching him or her something or by cultivating his or her rational nature (“pleasure in learning”); Good artproduces knowledge. Good art strives for measure, balance, moderation, the Golden Mean, because this is making in accordance with reason.

  29. Good Art/Making (from the audience’s perspective) Imitation in accordance with reason Good art encourages the audience to act virtuously; it supports and encourages human function in accordance with human form (i.e., what it means to be human). Good art entails human makings that produce in its audience a sense of internal harmony, knowledge, and encourages prudence, courage and temperance. Bad art entails human makings that incite the non-rational faculties that lead to vice and away from the virtuous life (vulgar art). Good art strives to represent measure, balance, moderation, the Golden Mean.

  30. http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/Odysseus-mixing-vessel.htmlhttp://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/Odysseus-mixing-vessel.html

  31. Poseidon or Zeus 460 BCE

  32. Harmodiusand AristogeitonRoman Copy

  33. Polygnotus

  34. Roman copy of a Greek bronze statue by Polykleitos, c. 430 B.C.E.

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