Elemental Teleology and an Interpretation of the Rainfall Example in Physics 2.
| Abstract | This paper proposes an interpretation of the rainfall example in which Aristotle does not himself think that crop growth is the final cause of rain. The grounds for this interpretation will be an ‘elemental teleology’ which affirms that the only final cause of the movements of the elements is the goal of reaching their proper places of rest. Textual evidence for the presence of this doctrine in Aristotle’s thought is examined in the first two thirds of the paper. My interpretation is then offered along with an argument for why it is both possible and preferable to the alternative reading which claims that Aristotle believed that rain falls for the sake of the crops. | |||||||||
| Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,709 |
| External links |
  Try with proxy. |
| Through your library | Only published papers are available at libraries |
Similar books and articlesJohn B. Morrall (1977). Aristotle. G. Allen & Unwin.
Rich Cameron (2010). Aristotle's Teleology. Philosophy Compass 5 (12):1096-1106.
Rich Cameron (2003). The Ontology of Aristotle's Final Cause. Apeiron 35 (2):153-79.
P. X. Monaghan (2010). A Novel Interpretation of Plato's Theory of Forms. Metaphysica 11 (1):63-78.
Francisco J. Gonzalez (2006). Whose Metaphysics of Presence? Heidegger's Interpretation ofEnergeiaandDunamisin Aristotle. Southern Journal of Philosophy 44 (4):533-568.
Stephen B. Hawkins (2007). Desire and Natural Classification: Aristotle and Peirce on Final Cause. Transactions of the Charles S. Peirce Society 43 (3):521 - 541.
Ofra Magidor (2008). Another Note on Zeno's Arrow. Phronesis 53 (s 4-5):359-372.
Daniel C. Dennett (1990). The Interpretation of Texts, People and Other Artifacts. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research (Supplement) 50:177-194.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2010-07-22Total downloads8 ( #123,255 of 549,754 )Recent downloads (6 months)0How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
