Aristotle's Causes and the Problem of the Necessity of Our Actions

I propose a minority position on the question of Aristotle’s stance about determinism and what depends on us. My point of interest is the question of the contingent and the connection between character and action. After a short summary of the content of Nicomachean Ethics III 1–4, I will concentrate on III 5. The central question is the connection between causality and necessity, and the best approach to it is to take account of the complex and non-standard theory of causation in Aristotle. At the end, I will add some indication on Aristotle’s position in the academic debate about the wrongdoer’s responsibility.