The Meaning of ' Nature ' in the Aristotelian Philosophy of Nature: ΦϒΣІΣ

The Meaning of ' Nature ' in the Aristotelian Philosophy of Nature SOMETIMES there are many things in a word. If such is the case, it is to the philosopher's advantage to trace out the relation between the various meanings of a word, insofar as the later and secondary significations are to be more fully understood only when seen in the light of a primary imposition , first and best known to us. The extension of the word to include further meanings retaining the relationship to this first and most known can be for the human mind a safeguard from meaningless abstractions and a reminder of the principles and trajectory of our knowing. At the same time, if the order is not seen, the extension can be a source of confusion and error. The advantage of bearing this order in mind and the danger of ignoring it are of particular importance in the case of the word nature; for although it is one of the most common terms in philosophy, many of its possible significations have yet to be explored more fully. The purpose of this article, accordingly, is twofold: (1) to trace out some of the more important meanings of this word with a view to determining its particular use in the Aristotelian and Thomistic philosophy of nature, and (2) to show that even this particular meaning is continually modified within the science of nature. Our order of procedure shall be as follows: I. After a preliminary review of the meanings of nature given by Aristotle in Book V of his Metaphysics, we shall turn to his Physics in order to determine more explicitly which of these meanings are proper to philosophy of nature. II. Next we shall develop certain implications of the definition of nature given in the Physics by detailing various ways in which nature can be taken as either an active or a passive principle. III. Finally we shall examine the extended meanings that the word nature assumes as philosophy of nature is elaborated . To my knowledge the possibility of this progressive 383 384 SHEILAH o'FLYNN BRENNAN enlargement of the term nature corresponding to the gradation of mobile beings in the philosophy of nature has not been considered : this possibility the present study aims particularly to investigate. I SoME MEANINGS oF NATURE In Book V, Chapter 4, of his Metaphysics, Aristotle runs through several meanings of cpvuts, which in Latin becomes natura and in English nature. Let us recall them briefly. 1. Taking cpvcns to be derived from cpveufJat, "to grow," Aristotle gives as the first meaning the genesis of growing things. Hence cpvuts means the process of a thing's coming into being by growing from something, as a plant comes into existence by growing from a seed. In this sense, then, the word is used for the generation of a living being.-Our English word nature would not have this meaning, of course, nor does the Latin natura, though nativitas, the process of birth, does have a similar signification. 2. Secondly, the word is taken to mean what the growing being grows from, a source within the growing being. 3. From this second sense is derived a more general meaning of nature: nature as the intrinsic source, not only of generation, but of the primary movement (including any type of change) which is in a natural being by virtue of what it is. Thereupon, the meaning becomes more determinate, as this inner source of movement or change is identified: 4. First, with the formless primary stuff, of which a natural thing consists or out of which it is made. It was in this sense that the ancient "physicists '' called the elements of natural things their nature. 5. Secondly, with essence or form (ovu£a), for we cannot say that those things which are or come to be by nature have their nature unless they have their form and shape, even though the matter (that from which they come) is present. Aristotle then retraces his steps in order to make certain THE MEANING OF 'NATURE' 385 precisions: nature is the primary matter, whether this latter be absolutely first or first only in a certain order; 1...