Full Idea
Why is he going for a walk? We say 'to be healthy', and having said that we have assigned the cause.
Gist of Idea
We assign the cause of someone's walking when we say why they are doing it
Source
Aristotle (Physics [c.337 BCE], 194b33-5)
Book Reference
Aristotle: 'Physics', ed/tr. Waterfield,Robin [OUP 1996], p.39
A Reaction
Stout gives this as the predecessor of Anscombe's account of intentions. The thought is that the explanation of the act is its purpose. Such teleology is more plausible than the Aristotelian teleology about non-human events.
Related Idea
Idea 20041 Intentional actions are those which are explained by giving the reason for so acting [Anscombe]