The Four Causes are a simple concept to grasp. The Causes are:
Material: what the object is made of
Formal: the shape/structure the object needs to be
Final: the purpose of the object
Efficient: the actions of the agent creating the object
For example, if the object you are looking at is a house, its causes were:
Material -> bricks, wood, mortar, slates, plaster
Formal -> the architect’s plans
Final -> a place to live in
Efficient -> the construction workers: builders, electricians, plumbers etc.
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I think this system works well. If I want to figure out what caused an object to exist, I’ll look at it like this:
The existence of my bracelet, for example, was caused by someone who put it together. This person had a purpose and structure for the object in mind; while they were making it they knew it was going to be a bracelet – otherwise it wouldn’t have ended up being a bracelet at all. Also, to make this bracelet the person had to have all the materials necessary; in this case, coloured threads.
Without these four factors, the creation of the bracelet would never have been possible. In order to be made, it needs a creator and materials to be created with. In order to be functional, it needs a purpose and a structure to serve that purpose. All of these go hand in hand, and together make the bracelet I’m wearing now.
This Statement Is Not True 