ARISTOTLE (GROUP 11/5)

Katie, Brooke, Robb, Dave, Shawn, Jamie

 Group 5 discussed the following:

1) Factual question: Who was Plato's greatest student and formed their own school? (Answer: Aristotle) 

2) Discussion question: Why do you think Aristotle described dreams as daemonic?

3) What is Naturalism?  Naturalism commonly refers to the philosophical viewpoint that the natural universe and its natural laws and forces (as opposed to supernatural ones) operate in the universe, and that nothing exists beyond the natural universe or, if it does, it does not affect the natural universe that we know.^[1] Followers of naturalism (naturalists) assert that natural laws are the rules that govern the structure and behavior of the natural universe, that the universe is a product of these laws and that the goal of science is to discover and publish them systematically.

Daemons are good or benevolent nature spirits beings of the same nature as both mortals and gods, similar to ghosts, chthonicheroes, spirit guides, forces of nature or the gods themselves (see Plato's Symposium). Walter Burkert suggests that unlike the Judeo-Christian use of demon in a strictly malignant sense, “[a] general belief in spirits is not expressed by the term daimon until the fifth century when a doctor asserts that neurotic women and girls can be driven to suicide by imaginary apparitions, ‘evil daimones’. How far this is an expression of widespread popular superstition is not easy to judge… On the basis of Hesiod's myth, however, what did gain currency was for great and powerful figures to be honoured after death as a daimon…” ^[2] Daimon is not so much type of quasi-divine being, according to Burkert, but rather a non-personified “peculiar mode” of their activity.


Let me start by saying that Aristotle was quite the confused philosopher.  His controlled randomness caused him to see everything in a totally different than others and in turn he saw nothing at all.  Reality is life in motion and his motions were tied to everything moving which also meant he was also tied to those things not moving. To be such a forward thinker he was forever in the clouds (literally) searching for his inspiration or the next "MOVE".  To over think a process of simplistic thinking was a huge part of Aristotle's theories.  He over thought so much that Hecht said that his philosophy made assumptions.  One of his huge assumptions was that the world was not made, it has  always been here.. 
C'mon man, thats irrational!!!


To add more ludicrousness, Aristotle believed that souls moved the planets and stars and then he also believed in mythical creatures called daemons, "were invisible creatures available for supplication".  Philip Pullman wrote a series of books (His Dark Materials) that included these mythical creatures and a movie called "The Golden Compass".  Within this movie every HUMAN being had daemon, which were all types of animals,  These animals were with them everywhere they went and that Daemon represented their soul.  What crazy foolishness is this, where an animal is my soul.  The kicker is this:  if it dies I die "spiritually".  Thats what i like to call HOT MESS!!!