Hylomorphic Teleology in Aristotle’s Physics II

Abstract

Discussion of final causality often occurs within a context of consciousness, which is hardly surprising given its indispensible importance for human activity. Yet associating final causality with conscious activity directed toward an end can tempt one to think of teleology as applying only to human acts, with the near-inevitable consequence of denying that non-conscious natural beings have true ends. While in no way suggesting that final causality is not essential to human activity, it is the purpose of the present study to show that teleology for Aristotle is much more extensive, encompassing even the relationship between matter and form. To this end, I draw attention to the following argument in Aristotle’s Physics II, chapter eight: