A Natural Interpretation of Aristotelian Teleology

Abstract

Aristotle famously claimed that all substances are affected by final causes, but what exactly he meant by this is contested. Some maintain that Aristotle held final causes could be wholly explained in terms of other types of causes, whether they be material, formal, or efficient. Others believe that Aristotle restricted the scope of final causality to the biological domain such that inorganic matter would not be subject to the influence of final causes. Still others hold that Aristotle believed the final cause of the cosmos was mankind. In contrast to all these interpretations, this essay argues that Aristotle sees final causes as a unique form of causation that affects all natural substances, including the natural elements in addition to biological life, by leading them to their predefined ends as opposed to any human purpose that they may serve.