Aristotle:

An empiricist who contrary to his tutor Plato, believed a "form" was structure and characteristics which are perceived using our senses. His work derived from reflection of natural studies observable in the physical world

♥Four Causes:

•Material: what an object is made of (it matter or substance) E.g. a bowl is made of clay

•Formal: its structure or model upon which it is made (characteristics) E.g. bowl-shaped

•Efficient: the means/agency by which brought something into existence. E.g. a potter

•Final: goal or telos (ultimate purpose) E.g. Holding food

♥Idea of cause and purpose in relation to God: The unmoved mover is a principle of activity that allows things to achieve their ends.a things "purpose"--or, final cause--is internal to the thing itself. There is no "purpose" imposed from the outside. The prime mover sets things in motion.

♥The Prime Mover:Something that causes motion but is itself unmoved and is eternal. It is pure actuality whereas contingent things are constantly changing (transient). The prime mover is the originating cause of all motion eternally that sustains the pattern from actuality to potentiality in the world. The prime mover only thinks of themselves (only knows of themselves and remains eternally unaware of the physical world's existence. Prime mover is immaterial and is therefore incapable of performing a physical action and therefore must be spiritual and intellectual(thought). (Influenced Aquinas 1st way- Motion)

•Exists by neccessity: Cannot fail to exist

•Not capable of change: Pure actuality by nature so its nature is good. Something that is pure actuality lacks no quality and is what it should be

•Final Cause: Ultimate explanation of why things exist

For Aristotle, God is the prime mover. The universe depends for its existance on the prime mover, but he also points out that all things in the universe are ordered to some 'Final Cause' and ultimately to the prime mover. Aristotle thought that God was a necessary being but doesn't interact and act in the world. He is eternal, transcendent and impersonal

Aristotle defined badness or evil as the absence of actuality that God most perfectly has; a lack of something that ought to be there.

Strengths:

•It has derived from reflections in the natural world (empirically) as they are "observable in the physical world"

•The four causes can readily be applied to things in the world and can appropriately explain them

Criticisms:

•The relationship between prime mover and the universe is unclear. He links it with God but says he cannot interact in universe at all

•Many people dispute as to whether anything has a final cause, specifically a purpose of the universe. They would argue that it exists by mere chance and involved in the laws of science. Maybe things don't exist for a reason

•No evidence that this material world is the source of knowledge

•Casual relationship between the world and the prime mover is unclear

•Aristotle says that Humans are the only creature with reason but some scientific research suggests otherwise