For AS Level Philosophy, however, again like my other uploads, it is useful for A2 Philosophy because understanding of Aristotle's concepts is crucial to be able to hold an argument in A2 essays so this is just a brief revision summary. If you found this useful, please make sure to give it a like! Thank you !!!

2. • Aristotle was an empiricist, whereas Plato was a rationalist.
• Plato believed that true knowledge can only be found in the Realm of reality
(Noeton).
• Aristotle argued that it can only be found in the world we live in (Horaton).
• Aristotle rejected Plato’s concept of the forms (eidos).
• Instead, he believed the form of things are contained within nature or the
physical world and are not some supernatural force.
• Aristotle was a monist or materialist, unlike Plato, who was a dualist.
• Plato believed that the soul (psyche) and body (sarx) were separate, but the
soul is trapped in the body.
• Aristotle believed that the soul and body are one and the same thing. The
soul is simply the body’s characteristics.
• Aristotle’s concept of God was the Prime Mover.
• Plato’s concept of God was the Demiurge.

3. Prime Matter:
• Matter is the raw material that something is made out of.
• Prime matter has no particular form and is not organised into any particular
structure.
• It is always in a constant state of flux.
Substance (hyle):
• Matter + Form = Substance
• Aristotle proposed that substance was the fusion of matter and form.
• A substance which could have matter but no form, is the Prime Mover.
• A substance with form but no matter, is God.
e.g. - a table
substance = wood, nails, glue
form = four legs, flat horizontal surface
- a mug
substance = clay
form = cylindrical shape, open top, circular handle

4. Cause Example
Statue
Example
Wooden chair
Example
Metal key
1.) Material
Cause
marble wood metal
2.) Efficient
Cause
sculptor carpenter blacksmith
3.) Formal
Cause
- figure of a
person
- 4 legs
- flat, horizontal
surface
- flat, vertical
backrest
- long horizontal
spine
- unique shape
4.) Final Cause - honour of an
important person
- commemoration
- to be sat on - to lock doors
- guard important
things

5. All things have both potentiality and actuality:
Potentiality – the ability to become something else and has
inherent qualities.
e.g. A child has the potentiality to become an adult.
Actuality – the outcome of something’s potential.
e.g. A child (potential) An adult (actual)
Eudemonia – the final end or purpose (telos): i.e. flourishing-
something doing what it was meant to do. (Achieves its telos).
The telos of human life is achieving a sense of happiness by exercising
virtue and gaining wisdom.
It is not granted by God but can be found within ourselves.

6. • Plant, animal and human souls have the power to grow and
reproduce.
• Animal and human souls have an additional power of desire and
feelings.
• Human souls have the extra power of reason.
• Aristotle adopts a monist or materialistic view that the soul is not
separable from the body as it is not distinct or immortal. It is
simply the body’s characteristics.
• He thinks that all faculties of the soul, die along with the body
except reason.
• Some aspects of reason survives but the ‘person’ does not live on
in any recognisable form, therefore does so as a spirit.

7. • The Prime Mover is the Final Cause.
• Motion cannot occur spontaneously, but only in response to a previous
change or movement. This leads to a chain of movement based on
cause and effect.
• Aristotle argued that an infinite regress of cause and effect is
therefore, impossible.
• Aristotle created the concept of a Prime Mover or Unmoved Mover,
which is at the start of the chain of cause and effect and causes this
movement or change, whilst itself remains unchanged.
• An analogy of a magnet can be used to describe this because as a
magnet attracts iron filings, the Prime Mover also attracts things to it
such as matter.
• Because of this attraction, the Prime Mover is the object of love and
desire, or, it is the motive for things to want to achieve their telos.
• The Prime Mover has many qualities: incorporeal, indivisible,
spaceless, changeless, perfect and eternal.
• It is not a creator God but simply a mechanical force.

8. • Human experience can be deceptive, limited and open to many
interpretations.
• It is not clear whether his explanation of the 4 causes are valid from
observation.
• If nothing else can move or change, then how can the Prime Mover be
seen as an unmoved mover?
• David Humes argues that Aristotle’s Prime Mover is one probable
conclusion, however, all concepts are probable and not necessarily true.
• There could be an infinite regress of movement because it can be
explained by the Oscillating Universe Theory.
• If everything has a telos, then what is the telos of things such as evil
and suffering in the world?
• His concept of God is not well explained as it is uncertain whether
‘thinking about thinking’ is responsible for causing movement.
• Aristotle’s philosophy is completely based upon empirical observation.
This makes it open to interpretation in different way, therefore is it
reliable?