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book350 BCE

The Parts of Animals

Disciplines:
philosophy of science
biology

Summary

Aristotle's systematic treatment of animal morphology, arguing that biological explanation requires reference to function and final cause — the parts of animals are explained by what they do, not merely by their material composition.

Core Contribution

Defends teleological explanation in biology: the heart is for pumping blood; feathers are for flight. Four causes must all be invoked for complete biological explanation. The most detailed scientific investigation of organisms before the 17th century.

Historical Influences

Aristotle

Intellectual Lineage

No conceptual lineage found.

Allied Works

The Generation of Animals The History of Animals On the Soul

Contemporaries & Peers

No recorded contemporaries.

Minds Influenced

No recorded minds influenced.

Intellectual Posterity

No conceptual posterity found.

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