Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
the foam, which represents all parts of the body, with phases of con-
densation of the flesh. During embryogenesis, organisation of the
living organism appears through a principle of order inherent in the
matter itself, the attraction of like by like, which makes identical
elements assemble spontaneously. Global organisation results from
interactions which occur between the parts without there being a
plan of the whole organism to guide the process. If this theory is
positioned relative to present debates and to other theories from
Antiquity, particularly Aristotle's, we can say that it has general
characteristics resembling those of a theory of self-organisation.
7.2
Generation according to Aristotle
Aristotle lived in the century following Hippocrates. He is widely
known for his logic, metaphysics and physics and his name is imme-
diately associated with these areas. In reality and perhaps above
all, he was also a great biologist who continues to have a profound
influence. A third of the works attributed to him which have
reached us are devoted to biology. It is even probable that it was
his finalist biology which influenced his physics and metaphysics,
and not the reverse, by suggesting the concept of finality at work
in all natural processes. This is the principal aspect of his philoso-
phy. For him, everything exists with an end in view and this final
cause is the idea which governs the genesis of all things, whether
natural or artefacts. The example of this finalist process, frequently
given by Aristotle, is artistic production. The cause of a marble
statue is the idea of the statue in the mind of the sculptor, the pro-
duction of it being the objective of all the processes used by the
sculptor.
Three other causes are however also at work. All the while he
is sculpting the statue, its form already exists in the mind of the
sculptor and serves as a model or plan for him. This is the formal
cause which guides or organises the production of the statue. In
addition, without matter, it would be impossible, so the marble
is the material cause, and the work of the sculptor on this marble
is the efficient cause transforming the crude marble into a refined
