[KB] Causes of Action

[Clarke Rountree]

Dear Burkelers:

I have a question concerning Aristotelian action (about which I have no
recollection whether Burke commented upon it). In the Rhetoric, Aristotle
(1369) claims that all actions are due to one of seven causes: chance,
nature, compulsion, habit, reasoning, anger, or appetite. (Surely Burke
mentions this somewhere!) I'm trying to figure out what he means by
"nature." Someone online suggests things like thirst are nature, but that
could be appetite, perhaps. On the other hand, appetite seems aimed at
seeking pleasure, which slaking thirst would do only in a minimal kind of
way.

Anyone have insight into what Aristotle means here?

Cheers,

Clarke

-- 
Dr. Clarke Rountree
Professor of Communication Arts
Associate Dean for Recruitment and Outreach for the College of Arts,
Humanities, and Social Sciences
212D CTC
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Huntsville, AL  35899
256-824-6646
clarke.rountree at uah.edu
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