Aristotle’s Four Ways of Explanation

Introduction

Aristotle was accomplished in both science and philosophy. He had a body of knowledge that is now known around the world and is known for his work in both physics and metaphysics. In philosophy, he had a set of four ways to explain a situation, and they are called Aristotle’s Four Ways of Explanation. They explain how we use the word ‘because’ and why we ask ‘why?’ These are four ways to explain and ask the important questions about nature and the world around us.

Material Cause

The material cause means to give an “explanation in terms of the component parts or constituent ingredients” (Cottingham, p. 413, 2008). This cause asks concrete questions about how structures are made, or how something is built. Two examples of this are the following questions: how is a cup of coffee made, and what is the function of the migration patterns of geese? These questions inquire about the concrete processes of these activities and objects, and this, they are a material ‘because.’

Formal Cause

The formal cause means to give an “explanation in terms of the form, definition or essential properties of something” (Cottingham, p. 413, 2008). It is a way to explain how things are made up, what their properties are, and how they function the way that they do. Two examples of this are in the following questions: what is the function of a eukaryote, and what are the properties of the equipment that helps humans predict the weather? These can be concrete, but they question the functions of cells and how people do certain things.

Efficient Cause

The efficient cause means to give an “explanation in terms of what initiated or produced the relevant movement or change” (Cottingham, p. 413, 2008). This cause is less concrete but is not without a factsheet. It describes a way to explain why social movements came to be, why laws have been passed, and why people are changed by life events that occur around them.

Two examples of the efficient cause are in the following questions: which human-made changes cause an animal to become extinct, and how are the events going on today like those that sparked the Civil Rights movement in America in the early 1960s? These questions ask why things have happened, what were the causes that made people stand up and use their voice to change law or society.

Final Cause

The final cause means to give an explanation about the end, or goal. “Notice that Aristotle lays great stress on this last type of cause, and he views much of the natural world as operating in terms of final causes” (Cottingham, p. 413, 2008). Aristotle thought that what humans do now, these decisions will surely affect nature and the future of the world.

“…it follows that they must be for an end; and that such things are all due to nature even the champions of the theory under discussion would agree. Therefore action for an end is present in things which come to be, and are, by nature” (Cottingham, p. 414, 2008).

It seems that the final cause cannot have a concrete definition. It follows nature and monitors the ends of lives, eras, movements, and centuries.

Two examples of Aristotle’s final cause are scientific: the questions that are being asked in the processes to cure terminal diseases like cancer, and how people can make the Earth a healthier place to pass on to the children of the future. These are examples of the final cause because they ultimately affect the future. What if the world could cure cancer, and what if everyone pulls their weight to keep the ocean clean and around for another million years because of what they have done today to help clean it?

Conclusion

Aristotle told the world to think about asking questions in different ways, for different causes and perhaps to create different points of view. The four ways of explanation are four different ways of questioning nature; concrete processes, functions, and creating social change. These are recurring themes in life and in nature.

Work Cited

Cottingham, J. “Four Types of Explanation: Aristotle, Physics.” In Western Philosophy: An Anthology, pp. 413-415. Wiley-Blackwell, 2008.