Differences Between the Aristotelian Four Fold Theory and The Basic Theory of Modern Causation

Aristotle was known as the father of the western causal theory. “To ‘know’ a thing is to know its causes” is something he was also known for saying. He came up with a way to explain causation called the four fold theory of cause. This theory included formal cause, material cause, efficient cause, and final cause. There were many philosophers who had agreed with the Aristotelian version of modern causation, but there was one philosopher in particular who argued that the four fold theory of cause was not necessary. Thus, modern causation was born.

The first form of Aristotelian causation is formal cause; this cause focuses on the present. This form involves the essence, form, and nature of things. It plays upon the pure form of objects, then gets more specific with the genus, and then even more specific with the species of said object. There are tons of examples of formal causation- Dwayne Wade plays basketball for the Heat, his number is 3, this counts as a formal cause. Another is the common reference to the television, a television isn’t merely a big glass box but the pairing of glass, metal, and nuts and bolts that allows it to function. The house reference is very common also; in order for a house to exist, it must have brick, concrete, or wood as its foundation so it is safe to live in.

The next form of causation is the material cause; this cause also focuses on the present. Material cause is based on Aristotle’s matter and the principle of individuation. This cause is synonymous to what literally appears substance wise. For example, Vogue magazine literally consist of picture, paper, and ink. When you see an average television, it is made up of plastic, glass, and/or metal substances. The house that someone might live in ...

... middle of paper ...

...y of modern causation are pretty clear. William of Ockham agreed with only one of Aristotle’s theories of causation but argued that the other three weren’t valid because of the lack of human experience within each theory. The Aristotelian four fold theory of causation consisted of four main causes: formal cause, material cause, efficient cause, and final cause. All of the Aristotelian causes focused on a certain time period- the past, present or the future, which impacted the interpretation of each theory itself. Formal cause and material cause are focused on the past, efficient cause is focused on the present time; while lastly, final cause is focused on the future. Efficient cause was deemed to be the most important out of the four by William of Ockham. Those are the differences between the Aristotelian four fold theory of causation and general modern causation.