7. Nature as Internal Cause: Definition and Distinction from Art

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

The Internal Character of Nature #

• Nature (φύσις) refers to something within a thing, not external
• This internal principle is hidden—Heraclitus: “nature loves to hide”
• Common observation demonstrates this: a tree and stone in identical external conditions (sun, rain, soil) behave differently because of internal principles
• Growth, rest, and all natural change depend on internal causes, not external conditions

Aristotle’s Five-Part Definition of Nature #

Nature is defined as:

1. A beginning and cause - Nature initiates both motion/change and rest
2. Of motion and change - Nature causes various types of change (growth, qualitative change, etc.)
3. In that in which it is - The cause is internal to the thing itself; this largely separates nature from art
4. First - Nature is what is first responsible for something; it is primary
5. As such, not by happening - Nature operates essentially, not accidentally (per accidens)

Nature vs. Art #

Key Distinction:

• Natural things: Have an internal cause of change and rest
• Artificial things: Have an external cause of change and rest

Examples:

• Tree grows due to internal principle; stone does not
• Log cabin abandoned in forest eventually sprouts trees (internal nature reasserts itself)
• Wall built by bricklayer—cause of growth is external (the builder’s art), not internal
• Steak on grill: I (external cause) determine when it stops cooking; steak has no internal principle stopping itself

The Problem of Internalized Art: The Doctor Example #

The unusual case: A doctor who uses medical art to cure himself (not a patient)

• This appears to have an internal cause of change (like nature)
• Yet it is not nature
• Why? The doctor’s possession of medical art and his disease are accidentally combined (per accidens), not essentially united
• Solution: The fifth part of the definition (“as such, not by happening”) is necessary to fully separate nature from art
• Most doctors don’t have the diseases they treat; the coincidence is accidental

Nature is “First”: What Does This Mean? #

Example of descent: Stepping from a second-story window

• I fall because I am heavier than air (first responsible)
• NOT because I am a man or animal
• Even a sack of chemicals would fall

Example of ascent: Climbing stairs

• I go upstairs using muscles—my nature as an animal
• Against gravity (the first principle for descent)
• If made of helium, would go up automatically—no animal nature needed

Principle: Multiple natures can exist in one thing; we identify which is first responsible for the action in question.

Nature vs. Custom (“Second Nature”) #

• Custom is like nature because it becomes internalized
• But custom is second nature—acquired, not first
• Example: Speaking English seems natural; speaking French seems artificial (even though both are learned)
• Custom resembles nature after internalization, but lacks the “firstness” of true nature
• This distinction is important: custom is not nature, though it may seem natural

Key Arguments #

The Observation Argument #

Premise 1: Tree and stone receive identical external conditions Premise 2: Tree grows; stone does not Conclusion: The difference must be due to something internal to each thing Significance: Establishes that nature is an internal principle, not reducible to external conditions

The Completeness of the Definition #

• Parts 1-2: Common to both nature and art (both cause change and rest)
• Part 3: Separates nature from art for the most part (internal vs. external cause)
• Part 4: Clarifies that nature is what is first responsible
• Part 5: Necessary for complete separation (distinguishes essential from accidental causation)

Why the Fifth Part Is Necessary #

Problem: If art could be internal (doctor curing himself), it would resemble nature Solution: Distinguish essential from accidental combination

• Doctor’s disease + doctor’s medical art = accidental conjunction
• Natural thing’s essence + its operative principle = essential unity

Important Definitions #

Nature (φύσις) #

A beginning and cause of motion and rest in that in which it is, first, as such and not by happening.

Natural vs. Artificial #

• Natural: Has within itself a cause of its own change and rest
• Artificial: Has its cause of change and rest outside itself (in the maker/agent)

As Such (καθ’ αὑτό) vs. By Happening (κατὰ συμβεβηκός) #

• As such: Essential; belonging to the thing by its very nature
• By happening/accidentally: Incidental; contingent coincidence not essential to the thing

Examples & Illustrations #

The Tree and Stone #

Identical external conditions (sun, rain, soil, nutrients) yet one grows and one does not. This demonstrates that growth depends on something internal, proving nature is an internal principle.

Natural vs. Fortified Wine #

• Natural wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot): Ferments naturally to 11-15% alcohol and stops—the stopping point is internal
• Fortified wine (sherry, port): Requires added brandy to reach 18-20% alcohol—higher alcohol content is externally imposed
• The natural wine’s natural stopping point reflects an internal principle; the fortified wine requires external intervention
• Called “natural” wine because it has an internal principle determining its final state

De Tocqueville’s Log Cabins #

Abandoned log cabins in America gradually sprout trees. The wooden structure (artificial form) decays, but what emerges is tree-like (natural form), not cabin-like. Shows that natural character comes from within; the artificial form is external.

The Doctor Curing Himself #

Aristotle’s example of a doctor using medical art to cure his own disease. This appears to be internal causation but remains art, not nature, because the doctor’s possession of medical skill and his disease are accidentally combined, not essentially one.

Bleeding and Bodily Recuperation #

A cut finger stops bleeding on its own without intervention. Animals survive fights and wounds because they have natural powers of recuperation. This demonstrates nature operates “as such”—by its own internal principle, not by accident.

Notable Quotes #

“Nature loves to hide.” — Heraclitus

“It happens that the man who has this disease also possesses the art whereby it could be cured. Or you could say vice versa. It happens that the man who possesses the art that can cure this disease also has the disease. And usually they’re not the same, right?” — Berquist, explaining why the fifth part of nature’s definition is necessary

Questions Addressed #

Why does something internal cause the tree to grow while nothing internal causes the stone to grow? #

Answer: Because it is the nature of trees to grow and the nature of stones to remain at rest. Nature is an internal principle that determines the characteristic operations and stability of a thing.

How do we completely separate nature from art when art can be internal (as in the doctor curing himself)? #

Answer: By adding the fifth part of the definition: “as such, not by happening.” The doctor’s medical art and disease are accidentally combined, not essentially. In nature, the principle of change and the thing undergoing change are essentially united.

What makes something “first” in the definition of nature? #

Answer: What is first responsible for an action in a thing. Multiple natures can coexist in one thing (e.g., being heavy and being animal), but we identify which is first operative for the specific change in question.