Explanation and Teleology in Aristotle's Science of Nature

Cover......Page 1
About......Page 3
Explanation and teleology in Aristotle\'s science of nature......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Figure and tables......Page 11
Acknowledgements......Page 12
Works by other greek authors......Page 14
Other abbreviations......Page 15
Introduction......Page 17
1.0 Introduction......Page 26
The place of final causes in causal explanation......Page 27
The analogy between art and nature in teleological explanations......Page 32
Key concepts to be employed in this study......Page 34
Causation in nature: the relation between teleology and necessity......Page 38
A first outline of the aporia and of Aristotle’s solution......Page 41
Empedocles and Aristotle on the coming to be of teeth......Page 48
The rainfall example and the scope of natural teleology......Page 52
Further reflections on the scope of natural teleology......Page 56
1.4 Conclusion......Page 63
2.0 Introduction......Page 65
Teleological notions in the preliminary characterizations of the soul in DA I.1......Page 66
The definition of the soul as the first actuality of a natural instrumental body in DA II.1......Page 69
Aristotle’s conception of the soul as a final cause of natural bodies in DA II.4......Page 71
The hierarchy of the capacities of the soul: living versus living well......Page 73
Teleological explanations for why living beings have the capacities of nutrition and perception......Page 79
A teleological explanation for why animals have the capacity for locomotion......Page 86
2.3 Conclusion......Page 90
3.0 Introduction......Page 92
3.1 Biology as a demonstrative science......Page 93
The image of nature as a good housekeeper......Page 97
Vital and essential parts......Page 100
Subsidiary parts......Page 105
“Luxury parts”......Page 108
Secondary teleology......Page 112
The problem of necessity......Page 115
Three types of necessity: material, conditional, and unqualified......Page 117
Teleology, necessity, and demonstration in PA I.1......Page 121
3.4 Conclusion......Page 126
4.0 Introduction......Page 128
The project and organization of De Partibus Animalium books II–IV......Page 129
Aristotle’s basic heuristic strategies......Page 131
The status of teleological principles as hypotheses in the natural sciences......Page 135
The role of teleological principles in explanation......Page 137
Examples of the heuristic use of principles of “optimal production”......Page 140
Classifying patterns of explanation in De Partibus Animalium......Page 151
Explanation by reference to formal causes......Page 152
Explanation by reference to material causes......Page 155
Explanation by reference to final causes......Page 160
4.4 Conclusion......Page 166
5.0 Introduction......Page 168
5.1 Cosmology as science of nature......Page 171
5.2 Explaining why there is a plurality of motions of the heavens (example 1)......Page 176
5.3 Explaining why the heavenly bodies move with different complexities (example 2)......Page 181
5.4 Explaining why stars have no feet (example 3)......Page 184
5.5 Conclusion......Page 190
6.0 Introduction......Page 192
The problem: the middle terms of the examples in APo II.11 do not pick out all four causes......Page 193
The hypothesis: the causality of the explanation and of the explanatory middle term can be different......Page 195
The semantic distinction between h aitia and to aition......Page 196
Making sense of the opening statement and the examples in APo II.11......Page 198
The example of material explanation......Page 200
The example of formal explanation......Page 202
The example of teleological explanation......Page 203
Why walking is for the sake of health......Page 205
Two possible interpretations of “changing the logoi”......Page 207
Ends cannot be picked out by middle terms......Page 211
The structure of demonstration in the natural sciences according to PA I.1......Page 214
The place of final causes in actual teleological explanations......Page 216
6.5 Conclusion......Page 221
Translation of Aristotle’s Analytica Posteriora II.11, 94a20–94b26......Page 222
7 Conclusion......Page 224
7.1 The priority of teleological explanations......Page 225
7.2 The (syllogistic) structure of teleological explanations......Page 227
7.3 The integration of final causes and necessity in teleological explanations......Page 231
7.4 The explanatory power of teleological explanations......Page 234
Bibliography......Page 237
General index......Page 253
Index locorum......Page 257