Madison Butler

PHIL 1301.001
October 28, 2019

Aristotle: The Four Causes

Aristotle's Theory of the Four Causes is a hypothesis that states how everything that is

seen on this earth shows to have existed through cause and effect. These four causes can

incorporate an item’s complete explanation, for instance, the materials it is made of, what it

resembles, what or who made it and the thinking behind its creation. The Causation speculation

is the purpose behind a considerable amount of Aristotle's work, including Physics and

Metaphysics. It outrightly portrays Aristotle's technique for looking at his general environment,

which is experimental and perceptive of what we can see with our senses and know from it. A

property completely opposite from what Aristotle's teacher, Plato, believed and taught. The Final

Cause differentiates uncommonly from the others since it depicts something's complete

explanation, and not just from a material point of view.

Aristotle's theory of the four causes is persuading that in all that he says we can associate

with it. We can connect with it because he utilized his sense of perception to produce his method

of causes. He invested a great deal of energy in watching the natural living world surrounding

him, as he needed to find what the reason for everything was. In Aristotle doing this de

discovered the hypothesis of the four causes. For instance; what does the heart do? We know

through a science standpoint however for what reason do we live like this? He arrived at the

resolution that nature itself didn't have a cognizant state of mind. The purpose that a object is

attempting to accomplish is some way or another is somehow inside the item without knowing.

For Example; a dog’s end goal of living is to grow up and eventually be a full grown dog,

however in the event that it passes away at a young age it would not accomplish its potential.
 Madison Butler
PHIL 1301.001
October 28, 2019
Aristotle thought everything had a time and place, nothing came out of order. The explanation of

why a living thing may not accomplish its true potential in life would be its Final Cause from

Aristotle’s Unmoved Mover, God. Everything that Aristotle did depended on his perception. He

was precise in his understanding in what he had observed by utilizing each one of his senses to

think of an unmistakable method of cause that everybody would accept.

The first three causes are the Material Cause, the Formal Cause and the Efficient Cause.

The Material Cause is what something is made of, and without the material to make the article,

the thing couldn't exist. A book whenever made up of paper and messages imprinted on them,

without the paper the book would not exist. The Formal Cause is the thing that the structure of

something is, or the arrangement of the thing that makes it what it is. Without its shape, it is just

the material that could be a thing eventually. Once again the book example, it has a front and

back cover, a table of contents, chapters, inside those chapters are passages or paragraphs

organized by sentences. A book without the cover and the structure and format throughout would

not be a book. The Efficient Clause is what brought the object in discussion to existence. A book

is brought to life by the writer, thus the author is the Efficient Cause according to Aristotle. The

Final Cause explains the reasoning behind a thing's existence in life and what it's motive is. A

book could have various purposes. Its reasoning could be to instruct, engage, entertain, etc.

Aristotle plainly expresses that everything has an explanation. For example, consider nature's

reasoning. Despite whether the thinking behind a creature or plant is useful to people is

inconsequent. For example, trees assimilate carbon dioxide from the air and discharge oxygen for

us humans to breathe in. Simply because we use trees to this advantage, does not mean trees

whole purpose on this planet is to give oxygen to the human population. Trees life purpose could
 Madison Butler
PHIL 1301.001
October 28, 2019
be to give a home to birds and other natural life, provide fruits and other foods, preserve soil, and

the list could continue. The Final Cause could in all likelihood be the most important cause since

it depicts objects in a non-materialistic way and enables us to think on why it is here rather than

only focusing on how it is here. We don't do anything without a reason behind doing it, so every

single choice and act has a Final Cause.

I chose to write about Aristotle’s Four Clauses because I wonder myself what is my

purpose, why am I here, how am I here, and the same questions can be asked about anything and

everything. It is fascinating to read and learn about what one of the greatest thinkers of all time

came to conclusion about the same questions I ask myself to this day in the 21st century.

Aristotle’s causation theory is agreeable in the matter that you truly can observe any physical

object, anything that is “being” and come to a conclusion about what it is, how it is made, and

the final clause will determine what its purpose is. This method works when questioning a book

and figuring out the purpose of it but when the subject being observed is a human or a living

creature, the process gets dramatically more complex. I disagree with the idea that the final

clause works when questioning anything because truly we will never know the purpose of every

thing or the purpose of life.

TTTTTThe final cause presents problems. Aristotle identifies the final cause as the most importa

nt, supposing that everything in the world is due to everything having a purpose and changing

between actuality potentiality. For physical objects it is easy to apply a purpose. For example, a

cups final clause is to hold a drink or liquid of some sort, but what is the final clause of a man?

Many argue, and I agree, that Aristotle’s suggested explanation, of why something works or

happens the way it does, is very unclear and vague because when trying to actualize all
 Madison Butler
PHIL 1301.001
October 28, 2019
potentialities it becomes confusing due to there being different possibilities. To determine the

true purpose with the multiple alternatives in question, would require an external judge. Humans

decide the purpose of the cup, therefore there must be a decider of a humans purpose, but who is

it? For instance, we don't have a clue whether all aspects of the human body even have a reason.

We don’t know what our purpose is, nor do we know who is supposed to decide it, and that goes

for the universe too. Try to use the Final Cause to determine the reason for the existence of the

universe and the circumstances only becomes even more complicated.