To begin with the first Question; Those that would exclude Final Causes from the consideration of the Naturalist, are wont to do it (for ought I have observ’d) upon one of these two Accounts: Either, that with Epicurus they think the world was the Production of Atoms and Chance, without any intervention of a Deity; and that consequently ‘tis improper and in vain to seek for Final Causes in the effects of Chance: Or, that they judge with Des Cartes, that God being an Omniscient Agent, ‘tis rash and presumptuous for men to think, that they know, or can investigate, what Ends he propos’d to himself in his Actings about his Creatures. The Ground on which the Epicureans have rejected Final Causes, has been disallow’d by the Philosophers of almost all other Sects; and some have written sufficient Confutations of it, which therefore I shall here forbear to insist on; though somethings I shall upon occasion observe, that may help, if not suffice, to discredit so unreasonable an Opinion. But the Cartesian Argument has been so prevalent among many Learned and Ingenious men, that it will be worth while (if it be but to excite better Pens) to spend some time in the Consideration of it.
Perhaps one thing that alienated that excellent Philosopher, from allowing the Consideration of Final Causes in Physicks, was, that the School-Philosophers, and many other Learned men, are wont to propose it too unwarily, as if there were no Creature in the world that was not solely, or at least chiefly, design’d for the Service or Benefit of Man: Insomuch that I remember I have seen a Body of Divinity, publish’d by a famous Writer, wherein, to prove the opinion he favours, of those that would have the world annihilated after the day of Judgement, he urgeth this Argument; That since the World was made for the sake of Man in his travelling Condition (homini viatoris causa,) when once Man is possess’d of his Everlasting State of Happiness or Misery, there will be no further use of the World. The opinion, that gives rise to such presumptuous and unwarrantable Expressions, did, as I guess by his objection, more choque Des Cartes, than I wonder that it should displease him. But the indicretion of men ought not to prejudice Truth; which must not be cast away, with the unwarrantable Conceits that some men have pinn’d upon it.
Wherefore, since I cannot entirely close, either with the opinion of the Epicureans, or of the Cartesians, I shall leave each party to maintain its own opinion, and proceed to propose mine: For the clearing of which, and indeed of the Disquisition of Final Causes, I shall beg leave to premise a Distinction, which, though novel, I shall venture to employ, because it comprises and distinguishes some things, which I think, ought neither to be overlook’d nor confounded.
I conceive then, that when we speak of the Ends which Nature, or rather the Author of Nature, is said to have in things Corporeal, One of these four things may be signify’d, or, if you like that expression better, the End design’d by Nature may be fourfold:
First, there may be some grand and General Ends of the whole World, such as the Exercising and Displaying the Creators immense Power and admirable Wisdom, the Communication of his Goodness, and the Admiration and Thanks due to him from his Intelligent Creatures, for these his divine Excellencies, whose Productions manifest his Glory. And these Ends, because they regard the Creation of the whole Universe, I call the Vniversal Ends of God or Nature.
Secondly, in a somewhat more restrain’d sense, there may be Ends design’d in the number, fabrick, placing, and wayes of moving the great Masses of Matter, that, for their Bulks or Qualities, are considerable parts of the World; since ‘tis very probable, that these bodies, such as the Sun, Moon, and fixed Stars, and the Terraqueous Globe, and perhaps each of its two chief parts, the Earth and the Sea, were so fram’d and plac’d, as not only to be capable of persevering in their own present state, but also as was most conducive to the Universal Ends of the Creation, and the good of the whole World, whereof they are notable parts. Upon which account these Ends, may, for distinctions sake, be call’d Cosmical or Systematical, as regarding the Symmetry of the great System of the world.
There is a Third sort of Ends, that do more peculiarly concern the Parts of Animals (and probably Plants too) which are those, that the particular parts of Animals are destinated to, and for the welfare of the whole Animal himself, as he is an entire and distinct System of organiz’d parts, destinated to preserve himself and propagate his Species, upon such a Theatre (as the Land, Water or Air) as his Structure and Circumstances determine him to act his part on. And these Ends, to discriminate them from others, may be call’d Animal Ends.