Details Title: Aquinas Description: Final Exam Review Cards Total Flash Cards: 25 Created: 05/05/2008 21:36:44		New Users: To study from this flashcard set, or to create your own your own study flash cards, REGISTER HERE. Existing Users: CLICK HERE. Additional Philosophy Flashcards
Cards in this set: Term Physical Objects Definition are composites of various things combinations of form and matter (also known as hylomorphism Term Act Definition depends on form things are actual due to their forms Term Potency Definition capacity that substance has for change whether it is substantially or accidentally capable of changing Term Form and Matter Definition Aristotle on Forms: Aquinas uses Aristotle as reference for own perspective; forms are not on some superior eternal separate realm; forms are part of objects; physical objects are combination of both form and matter Term Essence & Existence Definition essence is determined by form existence determines if essence exists God's essence is to exist, which makes him a necessary being Term Accidental & Substantial Change Definition substance-- what it is physically accident-- attributes assigned in order to create "positive intelligibility" Term God is Simple... Therefore God is not These 4 Things Definition 1. God is not a body 2. God is not a composite of form and matter 3. God is not a composite of nature/essence and suppositum (individual thing) 4. God is not a composite of essence and existence Term 4 Types of Cause according to Aristotle Definition Material cause- made of marble Formal cause- shape of David Efficient cause- Michelangelo sculpted it Final cause- wanted to depict David in form of statue Term Vertical Causation Definition Downward causation with God as First Cause Term Active and Passive Intellects Definition Aquinas does not believe in innate knowledge Even the idea of God is not written on the mind Our physical senses provide the intellect with its content – Sensory Cognition Passive: It is acted upon Intellect receives raw materials Active: It acts upon things World is intelligible to human mind Active intellect shines light on sense impression Shines light on things that are intelligible Intelligible qualities are universal in that kind of thing After we recognize intelligible qualities, we store it in passive intellect Because active intellect is always active, so cannot store it Term Anima Definition that which gives life Term 3 Types of Soul Definition --not separate parts, just different types of soul-- *Rational (rational animals) contains sensitive [and thus vegetative as well] Intellect Free will *Sensitive (non-rational animals) includes vegetative Locomotion Exterior senses Imagination Memory *Vegetative Grow Nourished Sensitive and vegetative only have bodily powers Term Indeterminism/ Libertarianism Definition Claim that freedom is power or ability to do something Freedom – there are no impediments or constraints preventing free choice E.g. writing a paper and free choice No constraints and adverse options (although grades are constraints) Term Determinists and Compatibilists Definition I can do otherwise if I want to do otherwise This is hypothetical analysis of the word “can” Being able to do what we want to do without coercion E.g. little girl scarred as a child by yellow lab and psychological trauma Later, her father gives her a yellow and a black lab and she chooses black Could she have chosen yellow lab? Comp/Det: Yes, had free will to, but did not have freedom to want yellow Term Quantum Physics Definition Newton is assumed to be determinist But quantum (atomic and subatomic) level, movement is chaotic – indeterminism Term Accident Definition Accidents are modifications of the aforementioned substances. Such modifications can only exist in the substance; they cannot exist on their own. Think of something like a red vase or a car going 70 mph. Both redness and velocity are accidents. Neither the color red nor the velocity of a car are by themselves substances. Term Substance Definition Substance is a thing which can exist on its own. Examples of substances are people, cats, dogs, houses, etc. Substance is a tricky word used from the ancient period through contemporary philosophy. There is a lot of disagreement about its meaning, but for our purposes, it is best to just think of it as a particular physical object, again, such as a cat or dog. Term Act Definition Act is things as they are (things are actual by virtue of their form), e.g. a cow. Term Potency Definition Potency is the capacity a thing has for change (or to be acted upon) whether substantially (i.e., a thing of one kind becoming a thing of another kind) or accidentally (i.e., a thing of one kind altering without becoming a thing of another kind). Term Accidental Change Definition Accidental changes are changes that a substance can undergo without turning into another substance. For instance, think of a cow. If a cow that is in a field moves into the barn, it has undergone an accidental change. This means that a cow that is actually in a field is potentially in the barn. If the cow moves into the barn, it is now actually in the barn and has undergone accidental change. The key feature of this analysis is that whether the cow is in the barn or the field its nature does not change. It is still a cow in each place. Term Substantial Change Definition Substantial changes are changes which a thing can undergo by turning into a thing of a different kind (i.e. a change in essence or nature). If the cow in the field dies, it undergoes substantial change (it looses its substantial form). The beef at the butcher shop is not a cow, but is something which once was a cow. Term Form Definition Form is that by which a thing actually is what it is, whether substantially or accidentally. Substantial form is what brings about substantial existence, whereas accidental form is what brings about accidental existence. A couple examples of this would be: cow, which is a substantial form and brown which is an accidental form. Form gives things their positive intelligibility (nature and qualities). We have form whenever we have a definite thing, property, or attribute which we can predicate of things. Term Matter Definition Matter is that which allows us to speak of things which have the capacity for a change in substance. Think about the change from a cow to beef at the butcher. What is it that allows us to speak of the beef being made out of the cow? Matter, for Thomas, explains this historically connected sequence. Matter exists only potentially; ‘it achieves its actual existence through the form which determines it’. On page 48 of Davies book he sums this up quite nicely. He says, "Matter, for Aquinas, is opposed to form. Form is that by which something actually is (e.g., cow), while matter is that by which what is might not be (that by which a cow can become a corpse)." Matter is the opposite of actuality; it is pure potentiality and said by Aquinas to be “being potentially.” Also, matter is the principle of individuation within a species which means the following. Suppose you have a cat and a human. We know the difference between these two by their form, but when we have two humans this does not work. In this situation, it is necessary to distinguish between the two humans based upon their matter. This is what Thomas calls designated matter. We refer to each of these humans as an individual based upon this notion of matter as a principle of individuation within a species (in this instance, the human species) Term Essence Definition Essence is what a thing is. This is the things nature (e.g. humanness) and is determined by its form. Term Existence Definition Existence pertains to whether a particular essence exists. In other words, the nature of cat does not guarantee that there will be actual cats. Suppose all cats die off. It is possible; other species are certainly in danger of this.