Aristotle - Causes, Metaphysics and Logic

(Originally Written October 5, 2006 in History I)

Aristotle's Physics:

Doctrine of change:

-What is change? A movement from a starting point to a goal (Telos).
-There is no pure change.
-Movement from potentiality to actuality.

The Four Causes of Change:
1. Material cause - the stuff of which the thing is composed of
2. Formal cause - the form, pattern or meaning of the thing
3. The efficient cause - that which brings about the change
4. Telic (Final) cause - the purpose/end for which the change occurred

Efficient causation is backward looking. Telic causation is forward looking.

Luck/Chance:

Lucky events are irregular occurrences and incidental occurrences.
Chance is broader. It is not confined to rational agents and is also found in natural objects. AN event that has a cause but not for the sake of relational causes. Chance is pointless.

Metaphysics:

-That which transcends the physical world.
-A second order discipline

First Principles:
-logical principles:
1. Law of non-contradiction: it is not possible that both "A" and "not-A" can be at the same time
2. Law of the excluded middle: "A" or "not-A"
3. Law of identity: If A is the case, the A is the case

Law of identity + Law of Excluded Middle, therefore Law of non-contradiction

Characteristics of the Laws of thought:
1. Most true
2. foundational
3. self-justifying (impossibility of the contrary)

Why some people challenge the laws of logic:
1. Observations are misconstrued
2. Relativity of sense perception