| dc.description.abstract | In the standard literature today, the prevalent view concerning Aristotle’s theory of reproduction in Generation of Animals is the argument that Aristotle conceives of a system in which the end goal of reproduction is the generation of the male. This teleological system then would only produce female animals as the result of a failure in the process of reproduction. This belief has prompted contemporary commentators to charge Aristotle with gender bias underlying his theory of reproduction. In this thesis, I challenge the standard view of Aristotle’s theory of reproduction, particularly the ‘Degrees of Perfection’ model which lies at the heart of the male-oriented teleological conception, an interpretation argued for by Karen Nielsen. I argue that this interpretation is influenced by a currently standard account of Aristotle’s causal framework and does not accurately portray Aristotle’s account of biological reproduction. The standard view leaves out several key passages on external efficient causation that undermines the standard reading’s causal framework. I advance the position that Aristotle does not operate on a ‘Degree of Perfection’ model, but rather in a framework in which opposites anchor a continuum. In this framework, external efficient causation plays more than a preventative role in Aristotle’s causal account. Without this standard account of Aristotle’s causal framework, I believe there is still a lot to uncover about the relationship of external efficient causation in natural processes, and to the extent in which it plays as a means to an end. | en |
