Aristotle's Four Causes

Aristotle's Four Causes

1. The Material Cause

   • Refers to matter or substance that something is made from
     • Book made out of paper

2. The Formal Cause

   • Refers to what gives the matter it's 'form' or 'structure'
   • Book not just any piece of paper, pieces arranged in a certain way

3. The Efficient Cause

   • Refers to the CAUSE of an object or thing existing
   • The answer to 'why' the thing exists
   • A book exists because someone wrote it and printed it, the author is the reason for the existence of the book rather than it just being a pile of paper

4. The Final Cause

   • Concerned with the reason WHY something is the way it is
   • Concerned with the function of the object/thing
   • The book is laid out how it is so that it is readable
   • Teleological
     • Function of the object or the reason the action is done
   • NOT saying there is design or purpose in nature, saying when you consider any object or thing it has some function which is the ultimate reason why the thing is what it is

5. Example: Statue

   • Material Cause : Made of marble
   • Formal Cause: Has the shape of a statue
   • Efficient Cause : A mason made it
   • Final Cause: Function is to be beautiful statue that honours, remembers or recalls someone/something