Dlaczego potrzebne, skoro niepotrzebne?
Why Necessary, if not Necessary?

On the Matter of the Effi cient Cause in Aristotle’s De generatione animalium

Summary/Abstract: Since, according to the well-known Aristotelian theory, in the process of sexual reproduction the male contributes form, and the female matter, in Generation of Animals Aristotle tries to prove 1) that there is no necessity for any material substance to pass from the male, and 2) that the male does not emit any part such as will remain situated within the fetus; as the strongest proof of this opinion he demonstrates 3) that some males do not emit semen. However, the example of insects he quotes to support the last thesis convinces us of the opposite: even if it is not necessary for the male to emit semen, it is better for him to produce it.

• Details
• Contents