What are Aristotle's four causes?

Aristotle offers four causes to explain how things come to be. There is the material cause, which literally refers to the stuff that a thing is made from. There is the efficient case, which is the agent that brings something about - so essentially the hammer and nails. There is the formal cause, which is the sort of thing something is - essentially the idea in mind, so the blueprint. Lastly, there is the final cause, which is the goal or purpose.

SL

Related Philosophy and Ethics A Level answers

All answers ▸

Assess the view that religious experience provides convincing proof of the existence of God (12 marks)


"Assess the view that natural law is of no help with regard to the issue of euthanasia."


What is the difference between "a priori knowledge" and "a posteriori knowledge"?


Is Utilitarianism Correct?