Aristotle and Christian Theology Thomas Aquinas R.C. Sproul Norm Geisler.

Aristotle and Christian TheologyThomas AquinasR.C. SproulNorm Geisler

Aristotle’s Life384 BC – Aristotle is born in Stagira in

Thrace, near MacedoniaFather is court physician to King Amyntas,

grandfather of Alexander the Great367 BC – Aristotle comes to Athens to study

at Plato’s academyPlato refers to Aristotle as the Nous of the

AcademyAristotle builds an impressive personal library,

Plato refers to Aristotle’s home as the “house of the reader”

Ancient GossipRumor ….

Aristotle said to have hinted that “wisdom would not die with Plato.”

And Plato said to have referred to his student as a foal that kicks his mother after draining her dry.

347 BC – Plato dies. After 20 years of study, Aristotle leaves Athens, travels to Asia Minor and marries.

342 BC – Aristotle has stayed in touch with friends in Macedonia via Facebook. Receives 140 character Tweet from Phillip inquiring if he would be interested in returning to Macedonia for a sweet job.

Alexander’s Three Tutors1) Leonidas, a kinsman of Olympias

Training was like Marine bootcampAs an adult Alexander’s endurance was almost

superhuman

2) LysicmachusReferred to Alexander as AchillesFed the stories Olympias had told Alexander

about his conception

Conception of AlexanderOlympias – a priestess of DionysusAdept at trancelike state of possessionIn trance is impregnated by celestial firePhilip sees her snuggling with a snake while

asleep and is told by Oracle of Delphi that he has witnessed her sleeping with a god and that it will cost him an eye

342 BC – Aristotle returns to Macedonia to tutor Alexander

Most esteemed philosopher of his day

Childhood friend of Phillip

Enduring relationship

Different political philosophy

Aristotle tutored Alexander, for 5 years until Phillip dies and Alexander assumes the throne.

Alexander goes on to conquer the worldAlexander had his men collect flora and

fauna from every region of the world and send to AristotleLed to Aristotle having the first zoo

Aristotle tutors Alexander for 5 years until Phillip dies and Alexander assumes the throne.

336 BC Aristotle leaves Macedonia334 BC Aristotle establishes his own

university, the Lyceum Named the Lyceum, as it was adjacent to the temple to the god

Apollo Lyceus -- protector of the flock against the wolf [lycos]. Morning serious lectures - - Evening public lectures Students had their meals with Aristotle Peripatetic style of teaching

323 BC Alexander the Great dies, Aristotle leaves Athens “lest Athens sin twice against philosophy”Demosthenes had kept the independent

minded Athenians stirred up about their Macedonian conquerors Conquered by Phillip Forced to stay in Corinthian League (remember

Thebes?)

322 BC Aristotle Dies

Aristotle’s Library Is BuriedAfter his death Theophrastus buries Aristotle’s

library in an effort to preserve it.Lost and forgotten for about 100 years and

then it is dug up, bad shape, a definitive edition of his collected works eventually put together from fragments and his student’s lecture notes.

Some ancient historians credit him with having written a thousand books (probably an exaggeration)

We have about 30

Important But DifficultMany, if not most, of his writings are dense

and not all that interesting.Arabian philosopher Avicenna said that he

had read Aristotle’s Metaphysics 40 times without understanding it.

Logical worksCollected by the later Peripatetics under the

title of Aristotle’s Organon)CategoriesTopicsPriorPosterior AnalyticsPropositionsSophistical Refutation

Scientific WorksPhysicsOn the HeavensGrowth and DecayMeteorologyNatural HistoryOn the SoulThe Parts of AnimalsThe Movement of AnimalsThe Generation of Animals

Esthetic WorksRhetoricPoetics

Philosophical WorksEthicsPoliticsMetaphysics

Encyclopedia AristotlicaHow is he able to write so diversely?

It should be noted that his works are full of errors and absurdities.

He believed that everything could be explained in as a consequence of four causes . . .

Four Causes• Everything can be explained as a

consequence of 1.Material cause – what is it made of?2.Formal cause – what kind of thing is it? What

is its essence, its “ness”.3.Efficient cause – what produced it?4.Final cause – what is its purpose?

What are the Four Causes?

A Statue of Socrates

Material Cause: MarbleFormal Cause: Statueness of SocratesEfficient Cause: SculptorFinal Cause: To honor Socrates

A ShirtMaterial Cause: FabricFormal Cause: ShirtnessEfficient Cause: Shirt MakerFinal Cause: To keep someone warm.

A WigMaterial Cause: Real or synthetic hairFormal Cause: WignessEfficient Cause: Wig MakerFinal Cause: To make someone look

and/or feel better.

Ancient Philosophy & Four Causes First book of Metaphysics explains all

philosophy prior to Aristotle in terms of the four causes.

“I am the first to recognize all four causes.”Can you refute Aristotle?

Aristotle’s Doctrine of SubstancesSubstance – for Aristotle anything that existsEvery substance is composed of two things

Hule = matterMorphe = form

What makes wood a chair rather than a bat?

Some Contributions of AristotleLogic

SyllogismsLaw of Non-Contradiction

Opponent of Plato’s Dualism Unmoved First MoverRhetoricEthics

SyllogismThe key component of Aristotelian logic is the

syllogism.

Typical format:Major premise – a general truth, or

observationMinor premise – a particular fact, or specific

observationConclusion – an inference implied by the two

premises together

The classic example of the syllogism:Major premise: All men are mortal.Minor premise: Socrates is a man.Conclusion: Socrates is mortal.

In other words, what applies to all members of a group applies to each and everymember.

Law of Non-Contradiction

More than just a law of thought it is a law of being

Contrary properties cannot belong to the same thing, at the same time, and in the same sense.

A cannot be both B and –B at the same time and in the same relationship.

A proposition cannot be both True and False at the same time and in the same sense

Square Circle

You assume the law of non-contradiction every time you take an action, think a thought, or speak a sentence.

You would have to presuppose the law to try to contradict it.

Aristotle said that if the law of contradiction does not exist then there is no difference between coming to hear me speak, and taking a dose of Hemlock.

A Cannot Be Not-A For ChristiansWithout the law of contradiction (1)

significant thinking is impossible, (2) significant action is impossible, (3) significant speech is impossible

No difference between sin and non-sinWords may have a number of meanings but

not an infinite number of meanings. There may be chair sense 1, chair sense 2, chair sense 3, but a chair is not a cat.

The TrinityDon’t Christians break the Law of Non-

Contradiction in the doctrine of the Trinity?

Aquinas – According, Contrary, Beyond human reason

Trinity, Hypostatic Union, Election

Aristotle vs. PlatoRejects Plato’s

metaphysical dualismdoctrine of two worlds

Rejects Plato’s epistemological dualismRationalism vs.

empiricismRejects Plato’s

anthropological dualismBody and soulholism

The Rhetorical Triangle When you engage in rhetoric,

you are related to the audience and your subject. A well-balanced argument gives attention to all three points of the triangle, establishing your authority (ethos), drawing the audience emotionally (pathos), and doing justice to the facts (logos).

However, if you give too much emphasis to facts, you can fall into a kind of distortion: making the subject seem cold and abstract. If you lean too much toward the audience, you can start to create propaganda. And if you put to much emphasis on your own character and values, you will seem egotistical.

Subject

Logos

Possible Distortion:Abstraction

Audience

Pathos

Possible Distortion:Propaganda

Speaker

Ethos

Possible Distortion:Egotism

Nicomathean Ethics