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| Question | Answer |
| existential | Is it?; Does it exist? |
| essential | What is it?; a thing's essence |
| Four Causes | according to Aristotle, there are four causes in Nature; Material, Formal, Efficient, and Final |
| Material Cause | that out of which a thing comes into being, and which remains present in it |
| Formal Cause | the form, pattern, or essence of the thing; this may be accidental or substantial |
| accidental | a nonessential change |
| substantial | an essential change |
| Efficient Cause | the source of the change; that which produces change |
| Final Cause | the end, purpose, or goal of the change |
| Potency | things that could exist, but do not presently exist |
| Act | things that presently exist |
| prime matter | AKA first matter; a theoretical form of matter that has pure and unlimited potential |
| secondary matter | matter that already exist in some form |
| How is matter a cause? | Matter provides the potential range of possibilities within which a change can take place. Also, matter limits the range of possibilities of a change. |
| How is form a cause? | Form is active. It is what actualizes matter to be on of its possibilities. It can be substantial or accidental. |
| hylomorphism | hyle = "matter" morphe = "form"; the union of matter and form |
| generation | coming to be; a movement from non-being to being |
| corruption | ceasing to be; a movement from being to non-being |
| What are the three things necessary for generation and corruption? | matter, form, and privation |
| privation | a lack of existence that is proper to the subject of the change; the lack of some potential existence |
| teleology | explanation of phenomena by the purpose they serve |
| Aristotle's First Argument for Purpose in Nature | 1. Events either occur by chance or for a purpose. 2. Natural things, normally, come about in a given way. 3. Spontaneous events do not come about in a certain way or pattern. 4. Therefore, things in Nature occur for a purpose. 5. Human beings can recognize these purposes and use them to our advantage. 6. Accidents do occur, but we only they are accidents because they do not fit the purpose. |
| Aristotle's Second Argument for Purpose in Nature | 1. When a series has an end or purpose, all steps in that series are for that purpose. 2. We can clearly see this in human actions when we set goals. 3. Actions in Nature are similar to human actions. 4. Therefore, there is a purpose in Nature. |
| Decartes's Argument on Change in Nature | Premise 1: My senses observe change in the world. Premise 2: My senses deceive me. Conclusion: Change is an illusion. |
| Descartes's Response to Concerns on Evil; Argument for Purpose in Nature | Premise 1: Descartes reminds himself that we are extremely weak and limited beings Premise 2: God, however, is immense and infinite. Premise 3: A finite mind cannot understand a infinite mind. Premise 4: The purposes and plans of God transcend human understanding. Conclusion: We should not ask about God's plan. We should stop asking why. |
| Descartes's argument on why other things may exist in the universe | Premise 1: God is perfect Premise 2: As a perfect being is omnipotent Premise 3: An omnipotent being can do anything except the logically impossible Conclusion: God has the power to create things I do not know about |
| Descartes's first argument on why it is possible things exist | Premise 1: Materials are referred to as object in math and geometry. Premise 2: Math and geometry are innate ideas; they are clear and distinct. Conclusion: It is possible that some material things may exist. |
| Descartes's second argument on why material things may exist | Premise 1: God is omnipotent Premise 2: As an omnipotent being God can create material things Conclusion: It is not impossible for material things to exist |
| Descartes's first argument on why it is probable that material things exist | Premise 1: The mind engages in the act of imagination Premise 2: The mind can imagine material things when thinking of clear and distinct ideas. Conclusion: Since this happens when the mind is thinking, it makes it probable that material things exist |
| Descartes's second argument on why it is probable material things exist | Premise 1: Descartes notes that it seems that we sense material things Premise 2: The material things seem to control us. Conclusion: There seems to be no other way to explain this, so it makes it seem probable that material things exist |
| dualism | the mind and body are completely distinct and separate (there is no hylomorphism) |
| belief (according to Hume) | a stronger conception of an object than we usually attain in our daily experience |
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