What came first: the light bulb or the idea for electricity? What came first: the photograph or the idea to capture a moment perfectly? What came first: this essay or the idea of proving a point through words? Aristotle was one of the greatest thinkers of his time. Despite the enormous impact he had on western philosophy his ideas are, to many, highly illogical. One of these being that the experience with the physicality of an object brings out the idea for that object.

Though Aristotle had been taught by Plato, his ideas could not have been more different. Plato’s theory on the Realm of Ideas had no standing in Aristotle’s mind. Aristotle felt that rather than the idea predating the physical form, the physical form predates the idea in other words, without an object, no idea about can be inspired.

For example, it can be agreed that Thomas Edison created the light bulb. It can also be agreed that Thomas Edison created the idea of containing electrical currents. The question is this. Did Thomas Edison only create the idea because the light bulb was invented? Aristotle would certainly have believed so. He would say that without Edison’s light bulb, the realization of electrical current could not have been realized at all.

For a more abstract example, a person can think of artist Jackson Pollock. Pollock is known as the creator of the modern, abstract “splatter paint” style of painting. Pollock painted not with easel and paintbrush, but with his canvas spread on the ground and using everyday items. Aristotle would say the Pollock’s unique way of painting inspired the concept of “create your own meaning” in art.

I appreciate Aristotle’s influences on philosophy just like I appreciate Madonna’s influences on music. Like Madonna, however, I cannot like or agree with Aristotle in any way. I cannot follow any of his logic, nor can I understand his idea that no idea can exist without a preexisting physical form of that idea.

Going back to the example regarding Thomas Edison and his infamous light bulb, I whole heartedly disagree with Aristotle. The reason? How could Edison possibly have created the light bulb without first imagining the concept of capturing and containing an electrical current? He couldn’t have. If he had he would have been blindly putting parts together with no idea of what would happen. He needed some idea of what was happening, for he was quoted in American Greats (1999) as saying “I find out what the world needs. Then, I go ahead and invent it.” This implies he had been attempting to bring his initial idea to physical form.

The same basic principle can be applied to Jackson Pollock’s work. Pollock didn’t paint a piece and think about what he was doing after. He knew what he was trying to portray before he began a painting: not to have a meaning. He believed in art that dictate its viewers’ reactions. If he hadn’t had those intentions, Pollock wouldn’t have created what he created.

A closer to home example would be this philosophy essay. This essay is real; this essay is physical. But could I be writing this essay without imagining first what I would write. According to Aristotle I’m just writing random words on a piece of paper without knowing the meaning until I finish. That is no way to write a paper or to do anything at all for that matter.