«Meam de motu & usu cordis, & circuitu sanguinis sententiam»: Teleology in William Harvey’s De motu cordis

Abstract

I describe the place of teleology in William Harvey’s understanding of anatomy, drawing especially on his lecture and working notes from (roughly) the decade leading up to the publication of De motu cordis. Harvey understands the goal of anatomy to be universal, final causal knowledge of the parts of animals and their variations, articulated in terms of their actiones and usus. I then carefully trace the role of teleology in the De motu cordis, distinguishing (with Harvey) between his opinion “de motu & usu cordis” and “de circuitu sanguinis”. I argue that in the De motu cordis Harvey provides teleological explanations of features of the heart and arteries and their variations in terms of the circulation of the blood, understood as the actio of the heart. In this way the De motu cordis clearly embodies Harvey’s understanding of the teleological character of anatomical knowledge.