Aristotle on the Unity of the Nutritive and Reproductive Functions

What is it about?

What makes a living thing alive? Aristotle thought that all living things share two characteristics: the biological functions of nutrition and reproduction. Despite the fact that these seem to be different kinds of activities, Aristotle believed they were somehow the same. In this article, we explore why. Ultimately, we argue that Aristotle understands both nutrition and reproduction as ways in which a living thing preserves itself. Nutrition preserves the living thing while it is alive, but through reproduction it can preserve itself even beyond its mortal lifespan. For Aristotle, these seemingly different activities both accomplish the same thing. Aristotle's theory of nutrition and reproduction presents a coherent explanation for why living things expend so much energy on successful reproduction: it is how they can attain a kind of immortality.

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