Archive for the ‘virtues of thought’ tag
R&L Thread 2: Aristotle and Galileo
Reminder: Screening tonight at 6pm in the main lobby! We will be watching the Attenborough documentary on the Bowerbirds.
Respond to this thread by class on Tuesday for participation credit.
- Aristotle thinks: To be a thing is to be a kind of thing. He calls the ‘kinds’ of things “essences“. Chairhood is the essence of chairs, cathood is the essence of cats. Humans are essential rational animals. Are there any such things as ‘essences’, or is Aristotle’s ontology fundamentally mistaken?
- Is there a vital force?
- In what ways does modern science represent a threat to the Aristotlean world view?
- What does Aristotle mean by “eudaimonia“, and is there any such thing?
- Is Aristotle’s picture of the virtues of thought complete? What features of the mind are left out, and why doesn’t Aristotle consider them virtues?
Remember, you can discuss anything from the readings (including Descartes!) or lectures/discussions (including tonights screening!) in this thread. Try to stay on topic, and if you want to talk about anything else use this week’s open thread.