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How does the passage characterize the making of a brazen sphere in Aristotle's philosophy?

a) The form is created by the man making the sphere.
b) Both the matter and form already exist, and the man brings them together.
c) The man creates both the form and the matter.
d) Forms do not exist independently of matter.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Aristotle's philosophy posits that a craftsman brings together the matter and form which pre-exist to create a brazen sphere, where a. the form is the design and the final product fulfills a certain purpose.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Aristotle's philosophy, the characteristic process of making a brazen sphere—or any form for that matter—entails the pre-existence of both matter and form. These two aspects are brought together through the agency of, say, a craftsman. This view is distinct from that of Plato, who posited that forms exist in a realm of their own, separate from the material world. For Aristotle, when a craftsman creates a brazen sphere, the formal cause of the sphere is the idea or design the craftsman has in mind. The material cause is the bronze itself. The craftsman's action and technique make up the efficient cause, while the final cause is the purpose or function the brazen sphere is intended to fulfill.

Based on Aristotle's doctrine of the four causes—material, formal, efficient, and final—it is clear that the answer to the question is that the form is created by the man making the sphere. Hence, the correct choice would be a) The form is created by the man making the sphere.

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