On the Gait of Animals

Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings were the first to create a comprehensive system of Western philosophy, encompassing morality, aesthetics, logic, science, politics, and metaphysics. Aristotle brings his teleological presumptions to empirical studies on his text about the gait and movement in various species of animals. In this text, he discusses why some animals are footless, others bipeds, quadrupeds and others polypods. Which parts are useful to animals for movement in place. The differences between these parts both in one and the same creature, and again by comparison of the parts of creatures of different species with one another. He also discusses why sanguineous animals have four points and not more, but bloodless animals have more than four.