Comprehensive works corresponding to Vitruvius’ De architectura and Agricola’s De re metallica paid much attention to sensible features of technology however little to philosophy. A second theme is the thesis that there’s a elementary ontological distinction between pure issues and artifacts. According to Aristotle (Physics II.1), the former have their principles of technology and movement inside, whereas the latter, insofar as they are artifacts, are generated solely by outward causes, specifically human goals and forms in the human soul. Natural merchandise move, develop, change, and reproduce themselves by internal ultimate causes; they are driven by functions of nature. Without human …