Ab alio movetur: Aristotle and Causal Determinism

Abstract

AbstractThis paper addresses the contentious issue of Aristotle’s commitment to causal determinism, particularly as concerns the efficient cause. After distinguishing between determinism, fatalism, and necessitarianism, several common arguments in favor of indeterminist interpretations of Aristotle are examined and rebutted. Afterwards, several positive arguments in favor of a determinist interpretation are advanced. The paper then turns to Aristotle’s seminal theory of chance and his resistance to systemic/metaphysical conceptions of determinism. Finally the paper asks whether Aristotle’s theory of chance succeeds in vanquishing determinism, or even necessitarianism.