Aristotle's Teleology

Question 1

what are rational vs. irrational potentials?

Answer 1

rational: has the capacity to bring things about in the world (i.e. humans)
* humans can choose to actualize the potential or not (does not mean change will inherently happen)

irrational: thing with capacity to change + thing with capacity to be changed = automatic change

e.g. doctors to not have the capacity to heal unless there is someone/thing to be changed

Question 2

what is the Parmenidean Problem of Change?

Answer 2

• nothing can come from nothing & nothing can come from something
• start with nothing = no change is possible
• if you start with something you’re not creating something b/c it already existed

e.g. building a table:
* the table was already there in the sense of potentiality → converted poten. to actuality
* you do not have the potential to build a table unless you have a world with tables
* potential to become a table = need materials

Question 3

what are the 4 things we seek to understand in natural science?

Answer 3

1. the fact: does P belong to S?
2. the reason why: why does P belong to S?
3. if/whether it is: does S exist?
4. what it is: what is S?

Question 4

what is teleology?

Answer 4

things that come about “for the sake of something” or “because it is better so”

nature does nothing in vain → there is an explanation for everything

Question 5

what is hypothetical necessity?

Answer 5

why things come about the way they do

e.g. you do not need eyeballs but if you have them, certain conditions need to be met

Question 6

what is Aristotle’s teleological “essentialism”?

Answer 6

explains what occurs “invariably or for the most part”, allowing for “mistakes” in nature

e.g. reproductive function of men & women:
* male has the capacity to initiate reproduction
* female does all the “work”