Essay On The Four Cause

Ayse Cetinkaya

Ancient Philosophy

Essay #2

May 1, 2014

The Four Causes: From the Beginning to the End of Time

Throughout ancient philosophical times, many thinkers have attempted to define that which persists through the generation and destruction of all things, and the qualities they have (color, size, temperature, etc.). This being, defined as the arched, has been explored through several different theories, from a diverse range of philosophers. We have explored theories of water, air, fire, forms and ideas as the ultimate being or principle. With the introduction of Aristotle came the idea of the final cause, which is ‘the for the sake of which’, as the one and true arche. Aristotle utilizes the theory of matter and form, from previous thinkers to explain how his final cause plays the role of the arche in the creation and obliteration of all things in the world. Aristotle accomplishes this by explaining the theory of change and permanence, and artificial and natural production using the four causes: material, formal, efficient, and final.

In a world that is constantly changing, Aristotle was posed the question of how things could remain the same or permanent, how exactly they were changing, and how we could have knowledge of it all. In order to explain, Aristotle viewed objects in terms of form and matter. Every object is comprised of specific materials organized in a certain fashion. This material composition is their matter. The way the materials are arranged is their form. During the process of change, whether that is natural or artificial, the matter of the object remains the same, while the form exhibits the actual change, making the object what it is. It is by way of forms, that we are able to identify objects fo...

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...al conclusions, but those that nature is unable of accomplishing alone (for instance, a medical practitioner that serves to cure or heal). Essentially, Aristotle viewed artistic or artificial processes and change as a way to serve or fill in for where nature lacks.

To conclude, Aristotle’s final cause appears to be very logical in terms of significance in serving as the arche of all things. According to Aristotle, the final cause assists in helping us to understand natural entities themselves, and it is the cause that others lead to. The material, formal, and efficient all rely on the final cause to be rational, because there is a reason for everything in the universe. Furthermore, the formal and final cause are very closely related, as the formal points to the final because it represents the ideal, what the motion tends toward, and ultimately, what it lacks.