Topic > Reconstruction of Aristotle's argument from physics...

In this article I offer a reconstruction of Aristotle's argument from Physics Book 2, Chapter 8, 199a9. Aristotle in this chapter tries to make an analogy between nature and action to establish that both, nature and action, have a purpose. This argument developed as a response to natural philosophers, who argue that the results of nature/natural processes occur only by chance. but not for an end (198b16). Aristotle argues that events and outcomes that occur only by chance are present a few times. However, the results of natural sequences or actions happen very often, and this is a sign that they must happen for some purpose and not just by chance. Therefore, the results of nature and actions must be only for the sake of some end. The argument states: “Whenever it has an end, the entire sequence of preceding and following actions is directed towards the end. Surely what is true of action is also true of nature, and what is true of nature is true of action, if nothing prevents it. Now, actions are useful for something, therefore natural successions are useful for something" (199a9...