How the Soul Uses Its Tools: Flexible Agency in Aristotle’s Account of Animal Generation

Abstract Aristotle claims that just as a builder uses ‘tools’ to build house, so too the soul ‘use[s] heat and coldness tools’ an animal ( Generation of Animals 740b25–34). I consider two questions about this claim: (1) what sorts things does use, is it for like them be organized? (2) philosophical work sort organization do in Aristotle’s account generation? argue needs flexible intermediate agents, organizes way exploits their flexibility, due demands complex, multi-stage process directed at single end.