New is Different: What Middle-Sized Things Teach about Causation

Abstract

The existence of middle-sized systems in the universe is far from accidental; it carries significant consequences for our understanding of both physics and metaphysics, bearing on the epistemic assumptions of the former and the role of causality in the latter. By examining how science actually engages with individual systems, we expose the weaknesses of the principle of physical causal closure and make the case for a pluralistic account of causality in the spirit of neo-Aristotelian philosophy. We explicitly argue for replacing the classical hylomorphic narrative with a morpho-efficient view better attuned to our current scientific understanding. This renewed articulation of Aristotelian causes proves consonant with the existence of a principle of individuation for middle-sized things, as well as with the novelty, continuity, and precariousness that characterize individual systems in nature.