Biology Essay
Marcela Richardson
Michael Polanyi College
Biology Essay
December 10, 2013
On the Parts of Animals Aristotle begins his essay by stating a distinction between two kinds of proficiency, one as the scientific knowledge of the subject and the other method as being an educated person. In my understanding, Aristotle agrees that is better to become an educated man in order to have a judgment as to which method is better to be applied, having a critical opinion of our own in all branches of knowledge. The intended result of my essay is to answer the question of what does essence serves for and where does it come from.
So, in order to illustrate the statement above, Aristotle first decides to find out the attributes of the species that have common characters of some common element of their nature in order to understand the causes and the reason why of the natural phenomena. By making a distinction in the motor cause and the final cause of substances, Aristotle helps us by stating the final cause as the main Reason, that which forms the starting point. In order for a thing to reach its final end, it is necessary that first this then that should be produced, and set into motion in the same order, up until the point that it reaches its final end. He continues to describe the motor cause which is the how, being the only phenomena that can be discovered by man. Aristotle also finds pertinent to discuss about the common process of the formation of animals, by first defining the phenomena presented by the groups of animals, afterwards stating the causes of the phenomena, so we can later deal with their evolution.
In order to understand the natural phenomena of men and animals, we need to look not only at the ultimate substance that compose these, but also to the homogeneous and heterogeneous parts and how they became these and under what virtue or force they came into existence. We need to state the definitive characters that distinguish animal as a whole, to be able to describe the substance and its form. This is when Aristotle introduces us to the concept of soul, which I believe is essential in order to understand the main characteristics of animals.
The soul is that something that constitutes the form and gives life to the entire organism. What we know about the soul so far is that when it leaves the body, what remains is only the composition of what used to be a living animal, and the whole becomes as a rock. Aristotle analyzes the question if the soul as a whole constitutes the essential character of an animal, or only some part or parts of it. By having a soul it enables matter to come into existence into the nature of animals because it has the capacity to receive such and such form.
Aristotle puts into doubt what constitutes the source of motion in animals and compares it with that of plants, which is the source of growth, the sensory part, and makes a distinction in the source of locomotion attributing intelligence only to that of human beings. Concluding then, that what constitutes the animal nature relies in parts of the soul rather than as in the whole.
This quote by Aristotle: “…seeing that everything that Natures makes is means to an end”, reminded me of my experience with the dissection of the frog, in the sense that I discovered the parts that constituted the frog and the importance of each organ. When I took the heart of the frog, which was not attached to any other organ, and it was still pumping, it made me realize the immensity of Nature. The little heart of the frog continued to serve his function which was to release oxygenated blood to its extremities in order to keep the animal alive, it was a means to an end, independent of the animal’s choice, but to some external phenomena which we attribute it to be Nature’s work.
But then why does nature go on to do all this work? Well, we need to understand that there are primary causes, which constitute the nature of an animal, which is the essence, we already know that soul is that part of the body that exists and nothing could come into existence without it. This cannot be answered by the human mind, is beyond the comprehension or capacity to explain the reason of Nature, for the only reason that we are also part of Nature’s work. So, in conclusion, essence is a combination of inherent properties and characteristics that constitutes the whole organism and is the one that gives function to the parts of the body, it is inherent in all organism that belong to Nature.
Michael Polanyi College
Biology Essay
December 10, 2013
On the Parts of Animals Aristotle begins his essay by stating a distinction between two kinds of proficiency, one as the scientific knowledge of the subject and the other method as being an educated person. In my understanding, Aristotle agrees that is better to become an educated man in order to have a judgment as to which method is better to be applied, having a critical opinion of our own in all branches of knowledge. The intended result of my essay is to answer the question of what does essence serves for and where does it come from.
So, in order to illustrate the statement above, Aristotle first decides to find out the attributes of the species that have common characters of some common element of their nature in order to understand the causes and the reason why of the natural phenomena. By making a distinction in the motor cause and the final cause of substances, Aristotle helps us by stating the final cause as the main Reason, that which forms the starting point. In order for a thing to reach its final end, it is necessary that first this then that should be produced, and set into motion in the same order, up until the point that it reaches its final end. He continues to describe the motor cause which is the how, being the only phenomena that can be discovered by man. Aristotle also finds pertinent to discuss about the common process of the formation of animals, by first defining the phenomena presented by the groups of animals, afterwards stating the causes of the phenomena, so we can later deal with their evolution.
In order to understand the natural phenomena of men and animals, we need to look not only at the ultimate substance that compose these, but also to the homogeneous and heterogeneous parts and how they became these and under what virtue or force they came into existence. We need to state the definitive characters that distinguish animal as a whole, to be able to describe the substance and its form. This is when Aristotle introduces us to the concept of soul, which I believe is essential in order to understand the main characteristics of animals.
The soul is that something that constitutes the form and gives life to the entire organism. What we know about the soul so far is that when it leaves the body, what remains is only the composition of what used to be a living animal, and the whole becomes as a rock. Aristotle analyzes the question if the soul as a whole constitutes the essential character of an animal, or only some part or parts of it. By having a soul it enables matter to come into existence into the nature of animals because it has the capacity to receive such and such form.
Aristotle puts into doubt what constitutes the source of motion in animals and compares it with that of plants, which is the source of growth, the sensory part, and makes a distinction in the source of locomotion attributing intelligence only to that of human beings. Concluding then, that what constitutes the animal nature relies in parts of the soul rather than as in the whole.
This quote by Aristotle: “…seeing that everything that Natures makes is means to an end”, reminded me of my experience with the dissection of the frog, in the sense that I discovered the parts that constituted the frog and the importance of each organ. When I took the heart of the frog, which was not attached to any other organ, and it was still pumping, it made me realize the immensity of Nature. The little heart of the frog continued to serve his function which was to release oxygenated blood to its extremities in order to keep the animal alive, it was a means to an end, independent of the animal’s choice, but to some external phenomena which we attribute it to be Nature’s work.
But then why does nature go on to do all this work? Well, we need to understand that there are primary causes, which constitute the nature of an animal, which is the essence, we already know that soul is that part of the body that exists and nothing could come into existence without it. This cannot be answered by the human mind, is beyond the comprehension or capacity to explain the reason of Nature, for the only reason that we are also part of Nature’s work. So, in conclusion, essence is a combination of inherent properties and characteristics that constitutes the whole organism and is the one that gives function to the parts of the body, it is inherent in all organism that belong to Nature.