
Things in Nature exist free of the things found in Nature.
In Book II of Aristotles ‘Physics,’ he describes the ‘nature’ of things, as found in nature and the things of nature. In this inquiry we will seek to understand what he means when he says;
“Of things that exist, some exist by nature, some from other causes.”(329)
Seeking to understand what he means of nature, as well as by nature, and what other causes may be.
All things do in fact seem to exist, regardless of how we define them, or see them. Aristotle seems to elaborate on the nature of things, as well as describing the things found in nature. The question then would be, do things in nature exist free of the things found in nature? I.e., things exist regardless of our definition of those things, we only describe the meaning, not their existence. Trees exist, wood comes from trees and becomes other things like table, chair, bed. Man causes the change to the things in nature, defines nature and ascribes names to those things created out of nature.
This question can be elaborated by expanding on the nature of what causes the things found in nature to change. “Chance and what results from chance are appropriate to agents that are capable of good fortune and of action generally. Therefore necessarily chance is in the sphere of actions. This is indicated by the fact that good fortune is thought to be the same, or nearly the same, as happiness, and happiness to be a kind of action, since it is well-doing. Hence what is not capable of action cannot do anything by chance.”(337) The cause of such action, seems to be derived from the intentions of one to act. The cause is the action, derived from the man’s ambition to cause a change. It is by chance that the action occurs within nature, both things found in nature; man, and the things found of nature, wood, plants, and other animals. It is by chance that things found in nature, as well as the things found by nature, come into existence by action. The chance is the fact that they exist, the cause of their existence is by chance. The tree cannot cause it to turn into wood, hence the tree is not of nature but by nature, the action is caused by man, to change the nature of the thing.
Looking further into nature and the causes of things to exist;
“we must explain then first why nature belongs to the class of causes which act for the sake of something; and then about the necessary and its place in nature, for all writers ascribe things to this cause, arguing that since the hot and the cold and the like are of such and such a kind, therefore certain things necessarily are and come to be – and if they mention any other cause(one friendship and strife, another mind), it is only to touch on it, and then good-bye to it.”(339)
Aristotle is explaining the necessity of things, such as things found in nature and their cause, whether it be by chance or some other cause. The “sake of something” acting, is by necessity, it acts because it exists to do such. Whether that is because of some other cause, may always be unknown, but it does in fact act and indeed it does exist. Furthering our understanding of what Aristotle means, by ‘chance,’ and the nature of those things.
“We have now explained what cause is and what spontaneity is, and in what they differ from each other. Both belong to the mode of causation ‘source of change’, for either some natural or some intelligent agent is always the cause; but in this sort of causation the number of possible causes is infinite.”(338)
Therefore, then, it would seem that man is the intelligent cause of the things in nature to change, it is only by chance that man has the intelligence to cause such a change. Or possibly it could be nothing but a mere coincidence that man exists by chance, to cause such a change to the things that exist. Man does exist, other things exist, and their cause to exist may be due to spontaneity, the change is their nature. Whatever the cause was that created things to exist, is not the same thing as what causes things to change that do exist. One could conclude that this cause is from a “divine” entity, or by a natural cause, found in nature that caused the intelligence to occur. “Hence, however true it may be that the heavens are due to spontaneity, it will be true that intelligence and nature will be prior causes of this universe and of many things in it besides.”(338) Which gives a notion that there may be an intelligence greater than man, that caused the intelligence within man. Heavens are of the divine, divine things seem to hold superior intelligence, so would man be a divine creator? Or just a cause of natural chance? The explanation that follows the introduction may need further inquiry in order to determine the cause of natural things, and the spontaneity of the nature of such a cause. What things are caused to exist by nature?
Likewise, what causes the things of nature to exist? Man exists in nature, but man is not the cause of his existence. He is only by chance more intelligent than the other things found in nature, and within nature it is only through chance that man will cause the change to the things in nature. It then would seem that Aristotle is trying to describe the difference of “things by nature,” and to further define what “other causes,” may be? Tree’s exist by nature, trees could exist in nature by man causing that existence. Man could plant the tree, water the tree, and the tree would grow. But man did not create the seed, he only planted it and provided its growth. The natural cause of the tree to grow was some other cause, the things that cause the man to exist are also of other causes. Chance and spontaneity could be the ‘cause’ of such chance to exist, actually this seems then to be what Aristotle is trying to explain. Things could exist by chance, or by a divine entity of such. However, either would not denote that they exist, indeed they do in fact exist. They exist in nature and by nature, it is only by chance that man is able to cause a change to the things in nature. Man is by nature, tree is by nature, it is only by chance that man caused a change to the tree and turned it into a bed. This would be the “other causes,” of such things in nature to change. Man does not cause nature, but he can affect nature by causing such a change. We have gone over the ‘cause’ and the ‘nature’ of things, as well as the things that cause things of nature to change. We have elaborated on spontaneity as well as chance and furthered our inquiry into what Aristotle was actually describing.
“If then, it is agreed that things are either the result of coincidence or for the sake of something, and these cannot be the result of coincidence or spontaneity, it follows that they must be for the sake of something; and that such things are all due to nature even the champions of the theory which is before us would agree. Therefore action for an end is present in things which come to be and are by nature.”(339)
Nature exists, things by nature, and of nature, even natural causes exist, nature exists by ‘some’ cause, but all things exist regardless of their cause. Their cause is by chance a(spontaneity) of such, but their existence is not the cause of their existence. It is only by chance that things exist.
Therefore, things that exist by chance in nature are by spontaneity and their cause is nature. Things of this world are by chance, they exist in nature. Things by nature are a cause of chance by man, to create such things to change. But their existence is not caused by the change, because they exist whether they are changed or not. This would show that Aristotle described their change to be a cause of chance, and that chance alone caused the change. However, their existence is neither a cause nor a chance. It was only by ‘chance’ that things in nature and by nature exist. Whether that be by spontaneity or chance, their existence remains the same,
“certain things must necessarily come to be or be there already,”
(p. 342)
so for Aristotle, it would then be clear
that it is by chance alone that things exist in nature as well as by nature.
Aristotle. Book II. In Physics (pp. 329–342). essay, paper handout.