The functional ground of the organization of the living body in Aristotle

Abstract

The living body is a complex structure consisting of multiple parts, and its structural arrangement shows variations from one species of living beings to another. Yet, despite the differences in their structures, the parts of living beings in general are capable of performing activities which are useful for the maintenance of the life of the possessor. Furthermore, the structural differences of the parts are quite in line with the varying demands of the varying modes of life. In other words, given that different species have different life practices, each species is somehow endowed with exactly those parts which are useful particularly for its own mode of life. According to Aristotle, this fitting and beneficial character of the parts, far from being a lucky outcome, constitutes the ground of the coming to be of the parts. The parts of the living body and the body as a whole are instruments whose coming to be is conditioned by the services they make which constitute their function. This thesis aims to show why and how Aristotle grounds the coming to be of the parts and the specific structures they have on a functional basis.