Week 6: Aristotle

Aristotle believed that many things in nature have natural purposes. For example, the purpose of the eye is to see, and the purpose of an acorn is to grow into an oak tree.

Consider the following question:

1. Do you think things in nature really have built-in purposes, or are purposes something humans project onto the world?
2. Can you think of examples from nature that seem to support Aristotles idea of final causes?
3. How might someone today argue against Aristotles view?

example1

People have always tried to understand why life looks organized and wondered if every part of nature has its own purpose For example fireflies produce light to communicate modern biology explains many features through evolution natural selection keeps traits that improve survival For example ladybugs eat plant pests modern biology explains many features through evolution Another observation is that beaver dams change rivers and create ponds Another observation is that horses have strong legs for running Another observation is that horses have strong legs for running chance and environment also shape living forms mutations introduce small changes over generations Another observation is that the eye allows animals to detect light and movement chance and environment also shape living forms Nature may appear purposeful even without a plan.

Example 2

1. I think that somethings do have built in purposes. A perfect example would be many of the plants on Earth. A Venus fly trap has the built in purpose of “eating” whatever flys into its mouth-like head(s) a tree has the built in purpose of growing and sometimes bearing fruit and no matter what, producing oxygen. There are definitely many things which either we as humans have given purpose, like any animal we have domesticated and made a pet/cattle and many things which have projected purposes onto, like space being the final frontier.

2. Examples from nature that support Aristotle’s final cause idea would be growth of plant life is the final cause of rain and photosynthesis. And that death is the final cause of life as to live is to inevitably die.

3. One may argue against Aristotle’s view by using the theory of evolution, claiming that nothing really has a natural cause and that instead it is the very long process of selecting genes and functions for inheritance to help organisms best survive the environment they inhabit.

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