Lecture 6.3  Aristotle’s Conception of Nature

from the preSocratic philosophers
    investigation of the causes:
        four causes: material, efficient, formal and final
        causes are reasons or explanations for things
        material entities have form and matter

study things in what they are: commonsense view

nature is what has an arche kinesews (principle of change) in itself
    the elements, earth, water, air and fire have natures
        to be heavy or light
    there is also the quintessence, the material which makes up the stars and planets, whose nature is to move in a circle
        i.e. to seek their natural place at the center (earth) or the periphery (fire)
    complex things too have natures which are complex

was the world-view for 1900 years

Problems: allowed but did not encourage mathematical treatment of motion
    physics not universal enough: just inertia
    change (motion) primarily connected with essence of primary bodies