Nik Taylor wrote:
> A good analogy I read somewhere: To answer the question "why is the pot
> boiling", one can say "I am going to make some tea", or one could answer
> "Electricity flows through the coils, the resistance of which generates
> heat ..." and so on. Both explanations are perfectly correct.
These are technically known as final and efficient causes respectively.
One main difference between the West (now a worldwide cultural
phenomenon) and traditional cultures is the rejection of final
causes for natural phenomena.
--
John Cowan http://www.ccil.org/~cowan cowan@ccil.org
You tollerday donsk? N. You tolkatiff scowegian? Nn.
You spigotty anglease? Nnn. You phonio saxo? Nnnn.
Clear all so! 'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)