Ziel und Zweck als Ursachen im Siglo de Oro

Abstract

Abstract Teleological thinking dominates in the early modern period. According to Aristotle, man’s goal is happiness in the community. For Hobbes, who sees man as a wolf, there is no such goal. Whereas in antiquity Xenophon had spoken of a universal purposefulness in which the goal of all things is usefulness to man, the goal cause pre-exists as thought in the consciousness of man, whereby idleness is to be rejected. The merchant pursues the goal of supplying the community with goods that are not locally available. In money lending, the main goal can be charity and the hope of profit is only the secondary goal. The military’s objective is to prevent peace and to restore the disturbed order in a just war. If, according to Perez de Moya, the multitude of stars have the purpose of serving illumination at night, decorating the sky, or influencing things on earth, for example, by causing disease in humans, then they are also relevant to medical activity. Since the soul is purpose for the body, diseases are reactions to negative affects of the soul, such as anger or fear.