Aristotle and the Science of Nature

Abstract

Andrea Falcon's work is guided by the exegetical ideal of recreating the mind of Aristotle and his distinctive conception of the theoretical enterprise. In this concise exploration of the significance of the celestial world for Aristotle's science of nature, Falcon investigates the source of discontinuity between celestial and sublunary natures and argues that the conviction that the natural world exhibits unity without uniformity is the ultimate reason for Aristotle's claim that the heavens are made of a special body, unique to them. This book presents Aristotle as a totally engaged, systematic investigator whose ultimate concern was to integrate his distinct investigations into a coherent interpretation of the world we live in, all the while mindful of human limitations to what can be known. Falcon reads in Aristotle the ambition of an extraordinarily curious mind and the confidence that that ambition has been largely fulfilled.

The efficient cause of science

“…In Physics II 3 and Metaphysics V 2, Aristotle lays out four causes which are all ""why" questions, that need to be addressed by the "student of nature" in a way that is appropriate to the science of nature (Falcon, 2006). The true understanding of these four causes is often subjected to interpretations and translations.…”

“…The true understanding of these four causes is often subjected to interpretations and translations. In Aristotelian science, these four causes are indispensable tools for a successful investigation of nature or the world around us (Falcon, 2006). In the simple context of a bronze statue, its construction can be decomposed into four causes as:…”