Physics Philosophy 1 Spring, 2002 G. J. Mattey

Nature vs. Artifice Some things are by nature They have a principle of change and stability within themselves Artificial things have no such principle A thing that is by nature has a nature Only substances have a nature It is evident that there are many things by nature

Matter vs. Form The nature of a thing may be conceived as the matter that makes it up (e.g., bronze, or more generally, earth) It may also be conceived as the form of the thing The form is more the nature than the matter We call a thing what it is (statue) when it actually has the form, not when it potentially does (as bronze)

Studying Nature Unlike the mathematician, the student of nature studies matter He studies its mathematical properties only insofar as it is natural Since nature is conceived as form, form must also be studied This is true in crafts as well, and “craft imitates nature” There are ends and means in crafts, and these must be studied in nature

The Four Causes In inquiring about natural change, we ask four kinds of questions about causes –What is the matter from which it arises? –What is its form or the account of its essence? –What agent produced it? –What is its end? In many cases, the causes are the same (e.g., “what something is and what it is for are one”)

Luck and Chance A dilemma: –Everything that happens can be referred to some cause –But we say that things come into being from luck Another dilemma: –Chance is said by philosophers to be the cause of the world –But chance cannot account for the existence of animals and plants We need to clarify what luck and chance are to overcome these dilemmas

Lucky Events Luck is distinguished from what is always or usually the case (you win the lottery) An event that is unusual may still be for something (intended to be, or by nature) When a cause is coincidental to what something is intentionally for, it is called luck For example, it is a matter of luck if I bump into you while I am on an errand, and you happen to have the money to repay a debt to me

Chance Chance is a broader category than luck Being lucky is the result of intentional action, which requires a decision Chance applies to children, animals, and inanimate objects A chance event happens for a reason coincidental to the natural end toward which it is directed (e.g., a horse when walking finds lush grass to eat)

Teleology and Necessity Why say that nature acts for a purpose, rather than from necessity? The end (e.g., the functions of animals) would then be brought about by chance The reason favoring teleology is that chance requires an event to be unusual Craft is teleological, and it either completes the work of nature or imitates nature Plants and animals show evidence of teleology

In Defense of Teleology Apparent irregularities in nature can be explained as the result of failure to achieve an end, rather than by chance Moving toward an end does not require deliberation The causes that are needed for the production of a thing are only material Necessity is in the end, rather than in the antecedent conditions that produce an event