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Life’s Ultimate QuestionsLife’s Ultimate Questions “Aristotle”“Aristotle”

Christopher Ullman, ProfessorChristopher Ullman, Professor

Christian Life CollegeChristian Life College

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Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)• Born not in Athens but in MacedoniaBorn not in Athens but in Macedonia

• Connected to the court of King PhilipConnected to the court of King Philip• Studied in Plato’s AcademyStudied in Plato’s Academy• Tutored Alexander the Great when Tutored Alexander the Great when

Alexander was a teenagerAlexander was a teenager• Founded a rival school in Athens, Founded a rival school in Athens,

the Lyceumthe Lyceum• During his life, he left Athens three During his life, he left Athens three

timestimes• After Plato’s deathAfter Plato’s death• After Philip II’s assassinationAfter Philip II’s assassination• After Alexander’s deathAfter Alexander’s death

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Why Aristotle is ImportantWhy Aristotle is Important

• He’s one of the 4 or 5 greatest thinkers of He’s one of the 4 or 5 greatest thinkers of all timeall time

• Plato helped influence Augustine, and Plato helped influence Augustine, and Aristotle helped influence Thomas AquinasAristotle helped influence Thomas Aquinas

• His teaching on properties can help us to His teaching on properties can help us to understand the Incarnationunderstand the Incarnation

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Aristotle vs. PlatoAristotle vs. Plato

He rejected Metaphysical He rejected Metaphysical DualismDualismThe Forms were not separate from The Forms were not separate from

particular thingsparticular thingsThey were in the particular thingsThey were in the particular things

Reality was in the world of Reality was in the world of particular thingsparticular thingsThings have substanceThings have substance

There is only one worldThere is only one worldThe one we inhabit through our The one we inhabit through our

bodiesbodies

FORMS

THINGS

THINGS, WITH

FORMS IN

THEM

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Aristotle vs. Plato, continuedAristotle vs. Plato, continued

By rejecting Plato’s By rejecting Plato’s Two Worlds theory, he Two Worlds theory, he could reject Plato’s could reject Plato’s Two Kinds of Two Kinds of Knowledge theoryKnowledge theoryHuman knowledge can Human knowledge can

be grounded on be grounded on The Senses The Senses ReasonReason

EMPIRICAL RATIONAL

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Aristotle vs. Plato, Aristotle vs. Plato, concludedconcluded

By rejecting Plato’s Two By rejecting Plato’s Two Worlds theory, he could Worlds theory, he could also reject Plato’s Body also reject Plato’s Body and Soul theoryand Soul theory Body and Soul are not Body and Soul are not

two radically separate two radically separate substancessubstances

Humans exist as a unified Humans exist as a unified whole, a body-soul whole, a body-soul complexcomplex

The soul is something The soul is something about the bodyabout the body

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Aristotle and Ultimate RealityAristotle and Ultimate Reality Reality consists of SubstancesReality consists of Substances

Things that exist or have beingThings that exist or have being CrayonsCrayons CarsCars StudentsStudents

Every substance has two kinds of propertiesEvery substance has two kinds of properties Accidental (Accidental (hulehule): nonessential attributes such as color or ): nonessential attributes such as color or

sizesize A knife could have a wooden handle or a metal handle, and still A knife could have a wooden handle or a metal handle, and still

be a knifebe a knife Essential (Essential (morphemorphe): attributes which are necessary ): attributes which are necessary

conditionsconditions A knife that has lost its ability to cut is no longer a knifeA knife that has lost its ability to cut is no longer a knife EssenceEssence and and FormForm are synonymous are synonymous

The Highly Morphic (Hule-Morphic) Composition of Substances

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Four CausesFour Causes (or Explanations) (or Explanations)

The Material Cause: what a thing is made ofThe Material Cause: what a thing is made of Baseball Bat: woodBaseball Bat: wood

The Formal Cause: the essential properties of The Formal Cause: the essential properties of a thinga thing Baseball Bat: tapered, round, knobbed, length of 27 Baseball Bat: tapered, round, knobbed, length of 27

– 36”– 36” The Efficient Cause: the activity that brings a The Efficient Cause: the activity that brings a

thing into existencething into existence Baseball Bat: the sweat, skill and desire of the Baseball Bat: the sweat, skill and desire of the

batmaker batmaker The Final Cause: the purpose for which a thing The Final Cause: the purpose for which a thing

existsexists Baseball Bat: a tool to swing at and occasionally hit Baseball Bat: a tool to swing at and occasionally hit

baseballsbaseballs

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CategoriesCategories

A category is a A category is a predicatepredicate (a way of (a way of describing and classifying things)describing and classifying things)

S is P (S is P (SSubject and ubject and PPredicate)redicate) ““The student is a person:” The student is a person:”

PersonPerson is the predicate or category that describes the is the predicate or category that describes the studentstudent

A dog is a mammal.A dog is a mammal. Socrates was a philosopher.Socrates was a philosopher. Harry Schmidt is an Iowan.Harry Schmidt is an Iowan. The box is cardboard.The box is cardboard.

Think of categories as Think of categories as headingsheadings under which all under which all things can be listedthings can be listed

Aristotle’s Categories are the ultimate headingsAristotle’s Categories are the ultimate headings

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Kinds of Categories Kinds of Categories

There are 10 kinds of There are 10 kinds of categoriescategories

““Socrates is _______”Socrates is _______”

Human (substance)Human (substance) AA human (quantity) human (quantity) Balding (quality)Balding (quality) In prison (place)In prison (place) Plato’s teacher Plato’s teacher

(relation)(relation) Alive in 400 B.C. (time)Alive in 400 B.C. (time) Sitting (posture)Sitting (posture) Dressed (state)Dressed (state) Drinking hemlock Drinking hemlock

(action)(action) Being poisoned Being poisoned

(passion)(passion)(Several of A’s categories are notoriously ambiguous)

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The Most Important CategoryThe Most Important Category

Which category is Which category is essential?essential? SUBSTANCESUBSTANCE

After Socrates died, was After Socrates died, was he still human?he still human?

If the bat is cut lengthwise If the bat is cut lengthwise four ways, it’s no longer a four ways, it’s no longer a batbat

If an eye can’t see, it is an If an eye can’t see, it is an eye in name onlyeye in name only

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Only God Never ChangesOnly God Never Changes

You You actuallyactually exist exist You You potentiallypotentially

Are a graduate of CLCAre a graduate of CLC This would be an This would be an

alterationalteration

Could move to HawaiiCould move to Hawaii This would be a This would be a

locomotionlocomotion

Could grow an inchCould grow an inch This would be an This would be an

augmentationaugmentation

Could get hit by a busCould get hit by a bus This would be a This would be a corruptioncorruption

Could be born againCould be born again This would be a This would be a generationgeneration 2 Corinthians 5:16-172 Corinthians 5:16-17

Your Your entelechyentelechy (final form) (final form) isis Ephesians 4:13Ephesians 4:13 Romans 8:29Romans 8:29 Romans 12:2Romans 12:2

God is God is Pure FormPure Form All actualityAll actuality No potentialityNo potentiality

ACTUALITY POTENTIALITY

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You Change Because You Change Because You’re MatterYou’re Matter

You are a You are a substance made substance made of of mattermatter

1.1. A particular objectA particular object

2.2. You can change You can change

3.3. You cannot be You cannot be inin other objectsother objects

4.4. You have causal You have causal powerpower

(Note: I am really not much of an Elton John fan)

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You Remain the Same Because You Remain the Same Because You’re Matter You’re Matter & Form & Form

You are a substance You are a substance made of matter made of matter & form& form

You have properties you You have properties you share with other like share with other like substances. These aresubstances. These are

1.1. Universal Universal 2.2. Cannot changeCannot change3.3. InIn other objects, too other objects, too4.4. Not able to cause anything Not able to cause anything

… they just are true… they just are true

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Intellect: PassiveIntellect: Passiveand Activeand Active

Passive intellectPassive intellect Receives info from the Receives info from the

sensessenses Of particular objectsOf particular objects

Fulfills the function of Fulfills the function of the mind’s matterthe mind’s matter

Provides a viewing Provides a viewing screen for an image screen for an image (phantasm)(phantasm)

Active IntellectActive Intellect Processes the info from the Processes the info from the

senses or from the reasonsenses or from the reason Fulfills the function of the Fulfills the function of the

mind’s formmind’s form Provides the captionProvides the caption Provides the narrativeProvides the narrative Links the particular to the Links the particular to the

universaluniversal

It won’t survive the death of the

body

It will survive the death of the body

“A RED BALL!”

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God, according to AristotleGod, according to Aristotle

Necessary to realityNecessary to reality Unmoved Mover of the UniverseUnmoved Mover of the Universe Pure ActualityPure Actuality Can only thinkCan only think

About himself!About himself!

Radically transcendent & wholly “other”Radically transcendent & wholly “other” And therefore, unknowableAnd therefore, unknowable

““Falls short of being philosophically, morally or Falls short of being philosophically, morally or religiously satisfying” religiously satisfying” -Nash-Nash

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Ethics, according to Aristotle Ethics, according to Aristotle (Part 1)(Part 1)

Observe humans, and Observe humans, and ask, “What do they ask, “What do they want?”want?” WealthWealth FameFame PowerPower HealthHealth FamilyFamily LoveLove PleasurePleasure

Are any of these the Are any of these the final goal?final goal? No, because you can No, because you can

have each one, and have each one, and still not be happystill not be happy

We seek each one of We seek each one of these in order to be these in order to be happyhappy

Only happiness is Only happiness is sought for itselfsought for itself

Happiness is the final, Happiness is the final, supreme goalsupreme goal

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Ethics, according to Aristotle Ethics, according to Aristotle (Part 2)(Part 2)

Happiness is Happiness is Having lived a truly Having lived a truly

good lifegood life Impossible for one Impossible for one

to have happiness to have happiness as a young personas a young person

Only possible by Only possible by reflecting back on reflecting back on the life one has the life one has lived lived

Did I live Did I live wellwell?? Did I live Did I live rightlyrightly??

If happiness is the If happiness is the destination, virtue is the destination, virtue is the roadroad How to How to bebe, not how to , not how to actact

Character, not rules, is to Character, not rules, is to be be

Taught through the Taught through the family and through the family and through the statestate

Formed by habitFormed by habit

The Golden MeanThe Golden Mean Somewhere in between Somewhere in between

the extremes of excess the extremes of excess and deficiencyand deficiency

The Paradox of The Paradox of HedonismHedonism

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Properties and the Incarnation, Properties and the Incarnation, Part 1Part 1

According to the Bible, According to the Bible, What are God’s essential What are God’s essential

properties?properties? OmnipotenceOmnipotence OmnipresenceOmnipresence OmniscienceOmniscience EternalityEternality SinlessnessSinlessness ____

If God lost even one of If God lost even one of these, God wouldn’t be these, God wouldn’t be GodGod

Do humans have Do humans have these essential these essential properties?properties? NONO

Then, how could Then, how could Jesus Christ be both Jesus Christ be both man and God?man and God? Let’s think about thisLet’s think about this

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Properties and the Incarnation, Properties and the Incarnation, Part 2Part 2

What are a human’s What are a human’s essential properties?essential properties? Having a capacity to Having a capacity to

reasonreason Having a capacity to Having a capacity to

experience emotionsexperience emotions Having a capacity to Having a capacity to

choosechoose ________________

If a human lost even If a human lost even one of these, he one of these, he wouldn’t be humanwouldn’t be human

What are some common What are some common properties of humans?properties of humans? Born on EarthBorn on Earth Having two legsHaving two legs Lacking omniscienceLacking omniscience Lacking omnipresenceLacking omnipresence SinfulSinful

These aren’t essential, These aren’t essential, howeverhowever

They are accidental and They are accidental and non-essentialnon-essential

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Properties and the Incarnation, Properties and the Incarnation, Part 3Part 3

A person can be A person can be fully fully humanhuman only if he only if he possesses all the possesses all the essential propertiesessential properties

A person is A person is merely merely humanhuman only if he only if he possesses all the possesses all the essential properties … essential properties …

PLUS some additional PLUS some additional limiting propertieslimiting properties

__________ is __________ is merelymerely human.human.

Jesus is Jesus is FULLYFULLY human …human … Without being Without being merelymerely

humanhuman If we understand that If we understand that

a human’s essential a human’s essential properties exclude properties exclude those which are those which are limiting properties …limiting properties … The Incarnation makes The Incarnation makes

a lot more sensea lot more sense

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PLATO and ARISTOTLE - IPLATO and ARISTOTLE - I

P: The Ideal is RealityP: The Ideal is Reality The Ideal exists apart The Ideal exists apart

from particular thingsfrom particular things In a separate place: the In a separate place: the

Realm of the FormsRealm of the Forms

A: The Ideal is Reality A: The Ideal is Reality The Ideal exists in particular The Ideal exists in particular

thingsthings Hence, no need for a separate Hence, no need for a separate

Realm of the FormsRealm of the Forms

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PLATO and ARISTOTLE - IIPLATO and ARISTOTLE - II

A: Senses tell us A: Senses tell us something of the Idealsomething of the Ideal Use them, along with Use them, along with

Reason & IntuitionReason & Intuition

P: Senses tell us only of P: Senses tell us only of particular thingsparticular things Don’t rely on themDon’t rely on them Rely solely on Reason & Rely solely on Reason &

IntuitionIntuition

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PLATO and ARISTOTLE - IIIPLATO and ARISTOTLE - IIIP & A: Reality isP & A: Reality is Fully Fully

KnowableKnowable Fully GoodFully GoodP: Emphasizes P: Emphasizes

Being, to Being, to explain Realityexplain Reality

A: Emphasizes A: Emphasizes Becoming, to Becoming, to explain Realityexplain Reality

Future philosophers will Future philosophers will attempt to combine attempt to combine the best of Plato’s the best of Plato’s worldview with the worldview with the best of Aristotle’s best of Aristotle’s worldviewworldview

None of them will reject None of them will reject Plato for AristotlePlato for Aristotle Aristotle for PlatoAristotle for Plato