Editing Teleology (section)

=== Aristotelian ===
[[Aristotle]] argued that [[Democritus]] was wrong to attempt to reduce all things to mere necessity, because doing so neglects the aim, order, and "final cause", which brings about these necessary conditions:

{{blockquote|Democritus, however, neglecting the final cause, reduces to necessity all the operations of nature. Now, they are necessary, it is true, but yet they are for a final cause and for the sake of what is best in each case. Thus nothing prevents the teeth from being formed and being shed in this way; but it is not on account of these causes but on account of the end.&nbsp;...|Aristotle|title=''[[Generation of Animals]]'' 5.8|source=789a8–b15}}

In ''[[Physics (Aristotle)|Physics]]'', using the [[Hylomorphism|hylomorphic theory]], (using eternal [[Platonic form|forms]] as his model{{Dubious|date=July 2021}}), Aristotle rejects Plato's assumption that the universe was created by an intelligent designer. For Aristotle, natural ends are produced by "natures" (principles of change internal to living things), and natures, Aristotle argued, do not deliberate:<ref>Hardie, R. P., and R. K. Gaye, trans. 2007. "Aristotle – Physics". pp. 602–852 in ''[https://archive.org/details/AristotleOrganon Aristotle - Works]'', edited by W. D. Ross. [[Internet Archive]] ([[open source]] full text). pp.&nbsp;[[iarchive:AristotleOrganon/page/n640/mode/2up|640]]–644, [[iarchive:AristotleOrganon/page/n647/mode/2up|649]].</ref>

{{blockquote|It is absurd to suppose that ends are not present [in nature] because we do not see an agent deliberating.|Aristotle|title=''[[Physics (Aristotle)|Physics]]''|source=2.8, 199b27-9<ref group=lower-roman>see also ''Physics'', 2.5–6: where "natures" are contrasted with intelligence</ref>}}

These Platonic and Aristotelian arguments ran counter to those presented earlier by [[Democritus]] and later by [[Lucretius]], both of whom were supporters of what is now often called [[Accidentalism (philosophy)|accidentalism]]:

{{blockquote|Nothing in the body is made in order that we may use it. What happens to exist is the cause of its use.|[[Lucretius]]|title=''[[De rerum natura]]'' [''On the Nature of Things''] 4|source=833<ref group=lower-roman>cf. Lucretius, ''De rerum natura'', 822–56</ref>}}