Assignment:
Plato Forms: The Foundations of Being
1. Identify the central metaphysical tenets of Plato's doctrine of the Forms.
Select the statement that represents a central metaphysical tenet of Plato's doctrine of the Forms.
a.) Individual objects participate in the Form of those objects.
b.) The essence of an object exists only when a human invents its Form.
c.) Only a cause-and-effect aspect exists between an object and its Form.
d.) The Form of an object is an imitation of the more genuine worldly object.
The Footnotes to Plato
2. Identify the ways in which Plato's philosophy has impacted history and society.
Which of the following is a way in which Plato has impacted history and society?
a.) He was the first philosopher to study the biological and physical sciences in the way we study them today.
b.) He introduced a method of philosophical investigation that uses dialectic to uncover truth.
c.) His doctrine of Permanence had a profound influence on later philosophers.
d.) His work drew distinctions between important endeavors, including philosophy, and empty pursuits, including rhetoric.
Aristotle: The Dissection of Reality
3. Differentiate Aristotle's philosophical approach from that of Plato.
Select the statement that best distinguishes Plato and Aristotle from one another in terms of their philosophical approaches.
a.) Aristotle would say that if you wanted to learn the essence of a tree, you should study a tree. Plato would say that you should study the Form of a tree.
b.) Aristotle would say that "A tree is a tree because it reflects the Form of a tree." Plato would say that "a tree is a tree because God made it a tree."
c.) Plato would say that we must have experiences with a tree to have knowledge of a tree. Aristotle would claim that we can have knowledge of a tree without having any experience with trees.
d.) Plato would say that we should dissect the bark of a tree to learn its essence. Aristotle would say that we cannot truly know the essence of a tree.
Aristotle on What There Is
4. Identify, and apply, the central tenets of Aristotle's metaphysics and ontology.
Bridget teaches a dog training class at her local animal shelter. She wants to provide the dog owners with some philosophical inspiration.
According to Aristotle's metaphysics and ontology, what is true about the essence of a dog?
a.) A dog is a non-human object and therefore has no essence.
b.) Each dog has its own unique essence.
c.) The essence of dog can only exist in actual dogs and nowhere else.
d.) The essence of a dog exists in Platonic Heaven.
Plato vs. Aristotle: The Mathematician or the Biologist
5. Compare and contrast Platonic and Aristotelian metaphysics
There are many similarities and differences between Platonic and Aristotelian metaphysics.
Select the statement about metaphysics with which both Plato and Aristotle would agree.
a.) "I can only know the truth about justice if I understand the essence of justice."
b.) "The best way to learn about mathematics is to use it in a real-world context."
c.) "To learn the essence of a human, we must examine individual humans and identify the features that make them human"
d.) "Letting our emotions guide our actions can help us to uncover the real truths of the world."