Aristotle also brings the concept of actuality and potentiality into his epistemology. An example of this would be that an acorn has actuality because it exists as an acorn, however, it has potentiality because it can grow into an oak tree. Once it has become a tree it has actuality because it exists as a tree, but also has potentiality because it can die. When it has died it is actually a rotting tree but has potentiality to disintegrate into the earth. From this idea, Aristotle understood that everything physical is transient, that if something was to move, then another thing must have caused it and so on, so he tries to figure out the cause of movement.
Aristotle acknowledged that all things in our universe are always trying to achieve perfection, which is reflected by everything always having potentiality. This then led to think that everything in the universe forever desires perfection and we are drawn to a prime mover. Aristotle believed that the prime mover was the ultimate final cause, as it is perfect and we all are drawn to it, by always having potentiality, and always aspiring to perfection. The prime mover is pure actuality and has no potentiality. It exists necessarily and is transcendent. Aristotle emphasises the importance of the final cause because this links with idea of the prime mover and explains how it is the cause of movement for everything in the universe. Everything is always changing and part of the telos/final cause of all things is to seek perfection.
The final cause is the main cause out of the four as it shows us a things purpose and reason for existing. The concept has been very influential on Christianity because of its implications of cause and purpose and how Christians see a purpose in life.
b) ‘Aristotle was wrong to say that everything has a purpose’. Discuss.
Some people perceive the above statement to be true. This is understandable because the telos of certain objects can be hidden and difficult to understand. Eg, what is the purpose of a person? How can we categorically say there is one single telos of all human kind? Aristotle’s ideas do not seem to take into account the individuality of living things. He says that human telos is to understand the world via philosophy, but what about those with certain disabilities that are unable to do this?
Another criticism of Aristotle’s idea of purpose is that some things have different purposes eg, a knife can be used to cut up food but can also be used to stab, saw or screw things. If an object has different purposes, how can it have a final telos? Aristotle’s response to this might be that although an object can be used in different ways, the purpose which it was designed for will always be there, therefore its telos remains, even if it is used for different things.
He single most damaging criticism of Aristotle’s ideas is from Plato. Plato says that empirical knowledge is useless to us because our sense data cannot be trusted and is easily manipulated. If you base your ideas on the physical world then you are not a true philosopher and cannot truly understand concepts like goodness, or understand the true purpose of things.
The whole idea that the universe has a purpose is flawed according to Russell and Dawkins, who believe that the universe is random. However Aristotle’s prime mover does at least attempt to explain why the universe exists as it does, rather than saying the is no reason at all.
Aristotle would argue that without a telos there would be no point in things existing. Why would an acorn exist if it didn’t have the purpose of growing into an oak tree?
It is this idea that it cannot be explained why things exists at all without referring to their purpose that I believe the statement to be incorrect.
