Theories of technical functions

Abstract

AbstractAs is well-known Aristotle’s view on nature, including inanimate natural objects, was thoroughly teleological. He distinguishes between things that exist by nature and those that exist by other causes (Physica, book II, 192b). Things that exist by nature, natural things, are characterised by the fact that they carry within themselves their principle of change. Nature, according to Aristotle, is “a source or cause of being moved and of being at rest” within a thing, which it has by virtue of being that thing. In other words, a natural thing is a thing that, by being that thing, carries within itself its own principle of motion or change (for biological organisms this includes change in the sense of reproduction). This principle of motion is called its nature and is directed towards the realisation of its goal or telos.KeywordsTechnical FunctionProper FunctionDual NatureFunction AssignmentConstitutive RuleThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.